Follow Me Foodie to BC Tree Fruits 52nd Annual Apple Month!

Apple Recipes, Ideas, Tips & Tricks!

“I’m turning my head up and down
I’m turning turning turning turning turning around
And all that I can see is just another apple-tree”
- Fools Garden, Lemon Tree lyrics

Well I guess the lyrics don’t really apply since it’s February, but who cares because it’s Apple Month! Apple Month was originally started by BC Tree Fruits to support local growers in the Okanagan and now it’s in its 52nd year. There are literally thousands of apple varieties and knowing which apples to use for what can really help improve your recipes. Besides eating and baking them there are other neat things you can do with them, and here are just a few apple recipes, ideas and tips! So if you missed my Foodie Friday segment on NEWS 1130AM radio this morning (11am every other Friday) here’s a quick recap.

What type of apples do I use for my pies?

Just to get it out of the way, I know everyone is going to ask “where can I get the best apple pie?” “The best” I’m not sure since I haven’t tried every single one in the city, but personally I enjoy the apple pie at Savary Island Pie Company, however they’re not too hard to make yourself.

I highly recommend trying your favourite apple pie recipes with various apples because every apple has a different flavour. If you like your apple pies more tart then go with a classic Granny Smith apple, but if you like it more sweet then try an Ambrosia, and even sweeter would be a Fuji apple. They all have different sugar contents and textures after they bake, so have fun and experiment beyond the Granny Smith, or even try a blend of apples. I would probably stay away from Cortlands and Red Delicious since they lose shape and get powdery, however they work for ciders and sauces.

If you’re just so done with “old-fashioned grandma-style apple pies”, then perhaps try my Maple Bourbon Apple Pie with a Bacon Pecan Crust Recipe!

Now if you want to try something really different you can also try a Grāpple. It’s an apple from Washington that looks like an apple, crunches like an apple, and tastes like a grape! They’ve been in the market for a while now and I discovered them at Whole Foods and specialty stores over a year ago and they’re pretty bizarre. It’s a natural and safe process using artificial flavors and the apples are bathed in grape flavoured water until they absorb the flavours of a grape. So if you hate the taste of apples, but want the health benefits, then maybe try a Grāpple?

Try Making Apple-Infused Vodka!

Speaking of infusions there are several other things you can do with apples besides baking them. Going the more adult root you can infuse vodka with them. I wouldn’t use an expensive brand since it would be a waste, but just go with something affordable.

Simply slice or dice 3-4 apples with their skins in chunks, and drop them in a container filled with 1 bottle of vodka until they are completely covered. Let them soak for about a week or so until your desired apple intensity is reached and then remove the apples and strain the liquid to rid any remaining sediments. The colour of the vodka will be yellowish brown.

You can try the same recipe with rum or add some cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans or pink peppercorns if you’re feeling a bit more creative.

Note: Before you toss out those old vodka infused apples, you can also puree them and cook them over low-medium heat with some cinnamon, vinegar and raisins and use it as a chutney or spread.

What else are apples good for besides eating?

Well I hope you don’t buy apples just for this reason because that would be a waste, but there are some neat tricks you can do with apples besides eat them. You may know some of these already, but apples speed up the ripening of avocados, tomatoes, bananas and pears. If you put an apple with any of those items in a brown bag they’ll ripen even faster.

Another thing you can do is use apples (or a piece of bread) to soften up brown sugar. Leave a piece of apple overnight in the dried up and hardened brown sugar and the next day it will be loose and back to normal.

Last but not least, is what apples can do with salt. You know how people say “you can always add more salt, but you can’t take it out”? Well au contraire! Believe it or not Ripley, if you over salt your soups or sauces you can throw in a few pieces of apple, allow it to cook for a bit, and it will remove salt content. Sure your sauce or soup may have a very mild and subtle apple flavour or sweetness, but you’re only using 2-3 pieces and not the entire thing.

Apple Pie In-A-Jar… ?

If you got all the way down to here, which you did because you’re reading this, then do you remember this? It’s my Canadian Pie In-A-Jar from Food Network Canada’s Recipe to Riches. Well I have some great news for those of you who wanted to try it. I’m actually reinventing it with BC Tree Fruit Apples and making an Apple Pie In-A-Jar! I’ll be having a sampling session for it soon so watch for my posts in the next couple weeks for the announcement!

BC Chinese Chef of the Year Award at BC Foodservice Expo Recap & Results!

A Follow Me Foodie Recap of the Chinese Chef of the Year Competition

All photos provided by Alvin K.C. Lee Photography

Congratulations to all the chefs who competed in the culinary competitions at The BC Foodservice Expo (January 29-30) at the Vancouver Convention Center. Organized by The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA), the B.C. Chefs Association (BCCA) and Canadian Culinary Federation (CCFCC), chefs from various restaurants in Metro Vancouver came together to compete for the title of “BC Chinese Chef of the Year” and “Roasted Chef of the Year”. After 2 days of Iron Chef like cooking challenges in front of a live audience the scores have been tallied and the results are in.

BC Chinese Chef of the Year

Gold Medal Winner: Chef Kent Wong, Fraser Court Seafood Restaurant

Other competitors include:

Gordon Ping Wah Chan of Always Seafood Restaurant
Sam Ka Bo Leung of Dynasty Seafood Restaurant
Wing Ho of Fortune Seafood Restaurant
Anthony Shy Wing Leung of Grand Dynasty Seafood Restaurant
Joseph Jiang of The Jade Seafood Restaurant
Chun Lum Ma of Shiang Garden Seafood Restaurant
Keng Wai Ng of Vivacity Restaurant
William Tse, The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant
Todd Bright of Wild Rice Modern Chinese Restaurant

**The competing chefs are members of the Canadian Culinary Federation (CCFCC) and the BC Chefs Association. Ten teams have been selected to date, based on merit and experience.

Roasted Chef of the Year

1st Place: Jeff Kang – Diva at the Met, Vancouver
2nd Place: Dan Craig – Delta, Burnaby
3rd Place: William Tse – The Sandbar, Vancouver

Other competitors include:

Rebecca Johnson – Italian Cultural Centre, Vancouver
Gerard Martin -Penticton Trade and Convention Centre, Penticton
Romeo Oloresisimo – Ora Restaurant, Kamloops
Tyler Leeson – Kingfisher Restaurant at Halcyon Hot Springs Resort, Nakusp
James Marinoff – Bon Rouge Bistro and Lounge, Victoria
John Waller – Victoria
Colman Herrington – Vancouver
Nathan Wright – Coast, Vancouver
James Hanna – RauDZ Regional Table, Kelowna

**All 12 chefs are active members of the Canadian Culinary Federation. Chefs from each of the four provincial chapters will represent their region thanks to a combination of merit, previous competition experience and success in regional challenges.

About the Chinese Chef of the Year Competition

For many of these Chinese chefs it was their first time competing in this sort of challenge, let alone in front of a live audience. Vancouver is world renowned for its excellence in Chinese cuisine and many, including myself, find that it’s just as good as what you can get in Hong Kong and China. For one, some of the best chefs in Hong Kong and China are the ones in the kitchen of many of our famous Chinese restaurants in Vancouver. Another reason is because the seafood quality and water is also better in Vancouver, which is especially important since Chinese food consists mainly of seafood. Quite often, it all starts with using the right ingredient. Sure there are dishes Hong Kong and China excel in, like Peking Duck, hand pulled noodles, and congee just to name a few, but generally speaking, Vancouver is the most well recognized North American city to house the best in authentic Chinese cuisine.

It’s not often to have a Chinese chef step out of a kitchen and that’s partially why I’m so passionate about this initiative. The BC Chinese Chef of the Year competition is a platform that gives them the opportunity to be equally as recognized as other well known and talented chefs in the city. Starting with a “Chinese Chef of the Year” is perhaps the first step, since it’s the most popular ethnic cuisine in Vancouver, but even better would be to eventually see Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese and other Asian cultures being showcased in the same context. In the end, cooking is cooking, technique is technique and good food is good food, so seeing them all represented in their respective categories is something I look forward to.

Judging Panel & Criteria

This was the first BC Chinese Chef of the Year competition and I was honoured and overwhelmed to be invited as a guest judge. The judging panel was lead by Chef Alex Chen, who is the 2013 chef representing Canada in the most prestigious and demanding culinary competition in the world – Bocuse d’Or in France. Other culinary masters on the panel included Sylvain Cuerrier (Executive Chef of RiverRock Casino Resort), Paul Ho (Treasurer of BCCA), Michael S.Pinter (Director of BCCA), and Ned Bell (Executive Chef of YEW at The Four Seasons Hotel).

The judging criteria included: Presentation, Taste, Organization, Sanitation, Safety, Kitchen Skills, Creativity, Communication with Chef and Sous Chef, and Wastage of Food.

With a similar stage set up to Iron Chef, the additional ingredients, spices and sauces were provided.

If I look through a cultural lens at Chinese food there are many factors that come to mind, such as efficiency and cost. Yes, this could be true of many cultures, and I know I’m speaking quite generally, but it is especially true with Chinese cuisine. Quite often it’s about getting the food out there as fast as you can because one less turnover is one less sale. Wasting is also highly frowned upon and that’s why every part of the animal is used and for the most part eaten.

Being very familiar with Chinese cuisine I’ve become immune to the expected family style servings and presentation. Making a dish look nice is not exactly the important focus, although what’s considered “nice presentation” is also debatable. Nonetheless, part of the competition was to challenge these chefs to strengthen their presentation skills and hopefully one day be able to have them at a level fit for national chef competitions. In a way it does mean these dishes need to visually appeal to Western and European standards, but at the same time it isn’t to take away from what they already know and do.

If there was an award for “game face”, he would have won it hands down. This is Chef Sam Ka Bo Leung of Dynasty Seafood Restaurant who is currently training to compete in the World Culinary Olympics in Germany. Best of luck to him!

Although many of these Chinese chefs are classically trained in Chinese cuisine and have cooked for decades in Asia and in Vancouver, there were also some chefs representing Vancouver’s modern Chinese restaurants, like Chef Todd Bright from Wild Rice and Chef William Tse from The Sandbar. These two chefs have exercised the idea of fusion in their own style at their perspective restaurants. While some could consider this as comparing apples to oranges, it is more or less an equal battlefield when there are chefs trained in traditional Chinese cuisine trying to modernize dishes, and chefs trained in non-traditional Chinese cuisine trying to keep them authentic.

It was interesting to see the different approaches to the challenges. On one hand there were the chefs with a set of nicely sharpened knives, and on the other hand there would be the chefs with one knife, which is the cleaver. You can predict which teams had which knife. The cleaver is the one knife that does it all if you know how to use it, and this all partially goes back on the idea of efficiency too. There’s no right or wrong, but they’re just completely different set of tools for different cooking styles.

This also stems from the fact that most traditional Chinese cuisine will require chopping of bones and the fish rarely has to be de-boned since it’s served whole, so the clever is more or less required. In Asia you rarely come across perfectly packaged chicken breasts and quite often the whole chicken is used and presented. A personal default I find with the cleaver is that it makes it harder to be intricate and detailed with its blunter blade and I find this also affects presentation. Once in a while I would see carving knives to cut lotus blossoms out of daikon, but generally the cleaver played the dominant role as expected.

In terms of cooking techniques, the wok was typically the cooking equipment most used as you may have guessed. The ovens were pretty much decoration as Chinese cuisine rarely requires an oven, and in fact, many homes in Asia don’t have ovens.

In regards to ingredients, the most used ingredient was likely the mushrooms since they symbolizes wealth and prosperity. It’s also especially popular to use during this time since it’s around Chinese New Year. The ingredients that were never touched were quite predictable too, the beets and fennel. Those are just way out of Asian comfort zone, although I’m sure they could do something amazing with it once they start experimenting. Who knows? Maybe next year?

**I apologize in advance for those hoping to read the “critiques” of the food. I’m not going to be commenting on the food too much, since that’s not really the purpose of this blog post. I just want to share with you my insights and experience at the Chinese Chef of the Year competition. I will however include some general comments on interesting techniques I witnessed.

Day 1: Chinese Chef of the Year Protein Challenge

The first Chinese Chef of the Year cooking challenge was to create one dish using a protein they previously drew from a hat. Given time to prepare and bring their proteins to the competition, the time limit was 45 minutes to complete the one dish. The point is to maximize this time, which again is a rather new concept for traditional Chinese Chefs who are accustomed to speed. Each chef had one sous chef and 2 teams competed at a time. Protein choices included chicken, beef, pork, lamb, duck, or seafood. Just like Food Network’s Iron Chef, additional ingredients, spices and sauces were provided for use.

Always Seafood Restaurant – Protein: Chicken

Sauteed Chicken in Phoenix Sauce – Chef Gordon Ping Wah Chan, Always Seafood Restaurant

The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant – Protein: Seafood

Steamed Mussels with Black Bean, Sauteed Seafood, BC Spot Prawn in Coconut Broth – Chef William Tse, The Sandbar

Shiang Garden Seafood Restaurant – Protein: Beef

Diced Beef Tenderloin with Pepper – Chef Chun Lum Ma, Shiang Garden Seafood Restaurant

Dynasty Seafood Restaurant – Protein: Duck

Duck in Two Delicacies: Pan Fried Stuffed Duck Breast with Mushroom & Sauteed Duck Diced Meat with Fresh Greens – Chef Sam Leung, Dynasty Seafood Restaurant

• The Endive leaves are very modern to Chinese cuisine and in this dish they filled them with mushrooms like a lettuce wrap.

The Jade Seafood Restaurant – Protein: Seafood

West Coast Sablefish Duo – Stir-fried fillet of sablefish with salted egg and pan-fried fillet of sablefish with pea tips and ginger puree – Chef Joseph Jiang, The Jade Seafood Restaurant

• The sauce used for the calligraphy was a puree of peas and ginger.

Fortune House Seafood Restaurant – Protein: Duck

Duck Breast in Yunnan Wild Mushroom Sauce & Sliced Duck in Black Pepper Sauce – Chef Wing Ho, Fortune House Seafood Restaurant

Grand Dynasty – Protein: Pork

Baby Pork with Black Vinegar Sauce and Pork Chop with Golden Maple Syrup – Chef Anthony Leung, Grand Dynasty

• The pork chop cutlet reminded me of the deep fried prawn dish tossed in mayonnaise and honey with candied walnuts. It’s a modernized Chinese dish and in this case it was executed with pork and a maple syrup glaze which hardened like crispy candy mimicking pork crackling to me.

Fraser Court Seafood Restaurant – Protein: Beef

Year of the Dragon with Delicious Beef – Chef Kent Wong, Fraser Court Seafood Restaurant

• I’ve never seen this done before. Chef made egg crepes and wrapped them around thin strips of beef tenderloin and then rolled it all together with more beef tenderloin like sushi. It visually reminded me of oxtail, but the whole execution process I’ve never seen.
• The wraps along the edges were almost like Peking Duck Wraps, but stuffed with mushrooms.

Vivacity Restaurant – Protein: Duck

Shunde Style “Sammi” Duck – Chef Keng Wai Ng, Vivacity Restaurant

• This showcased duck breast and duck tongue. The orange sauce was made with salted egg yolk and red pepper which are ingredients I’m familiar with separately, but not together.

Wild Rice Modern Chinese Restaurant – Protein: Pork

Sauteed Pork Liver with Szechuan Caramel, Mushroom Steam Bun, and Sauteed Vegetables – Chef Todd Bright, Wild Rice Modern Chinese Restaurant

Day 2: Chinese Chef of the Year – The Black Box Challenge

Day 2 of the BC Chinese Chef of the Year was The Black Box Challenge. Each team was given a black box featuring 2-3 ingredients which had to be used to make an appetizer and a main. Each team was given 45 minutes and only discovered their ingredients a minute before starting their challenge. Each chef had one sous chef and 2 teams competed at a time.

Secret ingredients: Mussels & Monkfish

Appetizer: Mussels with 3 different sauces – Chef William Tse, Sandbar

Secret ingredients: Mussels & Monkfish

Main: Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Monk Fish with Coconut Milk and Vegetables – Chef William Tse, Sandbar

Secret ingredients: Mussels & Monkfish

Appetizer: Monkfish on Grilled King Oyster Mushroom with Sweet Thai Chili Sauce

Secret ingredients: Mussels & Monkfish

Appetizer: Black Bean Stir-Fried Mussels with Peppers and Baby Bok Choy

Secret ingredients: Beef Sirloin, Hamachi

Appetizer: Beef Tartare & Hamachi Tartare with Wonton Crisps – Chef Todd Bright, Wild Rice Modern Chinese Cuisine

Secret ingredients: Beef Sirloin, Hamachi

Main: Seared Beef Sirloin, Hamachi Sashimi & Pan-Fried Fermented Black Bean Stuffed Gyoza, Chef Todd Bright, Wild Rice Modern Chinese Cuisine

Secret ingredients: Beef Sirloin, Hamachi

Appetizer: Seared Hamachi (Rare) with Wasabi Mayo

Secret ingredients: Beef Sirloin, Hamachi

Main: Seared Beef Sirloin, Hamachi Sashimi Tower with Egg, Cucumber and Wasabi Mayo & Potato Salad with Mushrooms

Secret ingredients: Saba, Beef Chuck

Appetizer: Grilled Saba with Sweet Thai Chili Sauce

Secret ingredients: Saba, Beef Chuck

Main: Sauteed Beef Chuck in Satay Sauce with Saba Endive Wrap on Enoki Mushrooms

Secret ingredients: Saba, Beef Chuck

Pre-Appetizer: Fried Saba with Garlic and Onions – Chef Kent Wong, Fraser Court Seafood Restaurant

Secret ingredients: Saba, Beef Chuck

Appetizer: Saba Poached in Egg with Dried Scallop on Butternut Squash with Sweet Soy Sauce – Chef Kent Wong, Fraser Court Seafood Restaurant

Secret ingredients: Saba, Beef Chuck

Main: Sauteed Beef Chuck wrapped with Chinese Broccoli in Satay Sauce & Sauteed Black Trumpets, Chanterelles and Vegetables – Chef Kent Wong, Fraser Court Seafood Restaurant

Secret ingredients: Horse Mackerel, Kangaroo

Appetizer: Deep Fried Noodle Wrapped Horse Mackerel with Sweet Thai Chili Sauce in Endive Leaves and Sauteed Vegetables

Secret ingredients: Horse Mackerel, Kangaroo

Main: Kangaroo Meat Patties with Baby Bok Choy

Secret ingredients: Horse Mackerel, Kangaroo

Appetizer: Deep Fried Horse Mackerel with Butternut Squash

Secret ingredients: Horse Mackerel, Kangaroo

Main: Sauteed Kangaroo with Sugar Snap Peas in Black Bean Sauce

Secret ingredients: Monkfish, Sirloin Tip, Mussels

Appetizer: Fried Monkfish with Sauteed Mussels and Chinese Broccoli in Black Bean Sauce

Secret ingredients: Monkfish, Sirloin Tip, Mussels

Main: Seared Sirloin Tip on Lotus Root with Honey Sauce

Secret ingredients: Monkfish, Sirloin Tip, Mussels

Appetizer: Minced Monkfish and Mussels Wrapped in Egg Crepe

Secret ingredients: Monk Fish, Sirloin Tip, Mussels

Main: Sauteed Sirloin Tip in Sweet Soy Sauce with Leeks and Endive

Swallow Tail Secret Supper Soiree

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For dates and ticket info see here.

Restaurant: C Restaurant
Cuisine: Seafood/Fine Dining/West Coast/Pacific Northwest
Last visited: January 25, 2012
Location: Vancouver, BC (Downtown)
Address: #2 – 1600 Howe Street
Train: Yaletown-Roundhouse Stn Southbound
Price Range: $50+

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

Food: n/a (Dine Out Menu)
Service: n/a
Ambiance: 5
Overall: n/a
Additional comments:

• Kambolis Restaurant Group
• Fine dining
• West Coast/Pacific Northwest cuisine
• Seasonal menus
• Local ingredients
• Award winning
• Leader in sustainable seafood
• Specializes in seafood
• Executive Chef Robert Clark
• Oceanfront view
• Heated patio
• Award winning wine list
• Ocean Wise
• Weekend brunch – see here
• Dinner Daily from 5pm

**Recommendations: Pumpkin Soup, any Velouté, Spiced Chocolate Pudding, The Pickled Beet Salad is good and also if you enjoy caviar you should check out their Northern Divine Caviar Dinner.

Dine Out Vancouver menus and events are at their halfway mark and there’s still another week to participate in this annual food festival. I recently posted on my thoughts about Dine Out Vancouver (see here) and I’m personally more interested in the events rather than the price fixe menus. I just have my biases with Dine Out Menus and find them more or less samples of what the restaurant can do on a regular night. Therefore I strongly recommend people to go back on a regular night regardless of how impressed or disappointed you were with them during Dine Out.

I am quite familiar with the regular menu at C Restaurant and have been there on several occasions. In fact I even saw some of the regular dishes offered on the Dine Out menu. However they were slightly altered, simplified and made more approachable for the price fixe. On this occasion I was invited to try their Dine Out menu, which I expected would either confirm or even better convert my preconceptions regarding Dine Out. I respect those of you who do participate in Dine Out Vancouver, and if you’re looking for options then I’m pleased to share my experiences and what is available.

C restaurant is an award winning fine dining seafood restaurant and they’re offering a 4 course menu for $38 during Dine Out Vancouver (January 20 – February 5, 2012). Most restaurants in the $38 category are only offering 3 courses, and although the price fixe is a bit more limited at C, the additional course balances it out. I must say I was incredibly impressed with my dinner, however a big part of that was due to the added supplements and wine pairings. If I just had the regular $38 Dine Out menu, I would be content, but not necessarily full or as enthusiastic to go back.

I find this experience quite common with many restaurants providing a $38 prixe fixe menu, since cost margins are harder for those specializing in fine dining. That was also one of the points I brought up regarding my thoughts on Dine Out. With the added supplements and wine pairings (which was a great investment at only $26) it would have been about $100, which is more or less standard for 4 courses + wine at C Restaurant on a regular night ordering a la carte.

I’ve become a fan of their sommelier, Sarah McCauley, who does fantastic wine pairings that really enhanced this meal. The $38 Dine Out menu is enjoyable, and a deal, but the supplements (which are more representable of the regular menu) and wine pairings is what impressed me most and what I would return for.

On the table:

Complimentary Bread & Butter

• I look forward to the bread here, specifically the seaweed bread, but they serve it differently each time.
• This time it wasn’t served warm, but they still had their three daily varieties.
• The seaweed bread is standard and also my favourite. It’s always good, but that tastes different each time too.
• It’s a buttery seaweed bread that’s somewhat sweeter and more like a loaf.
• It was super tender, soft, crumbly and moist with chewy bits of seaweed throughout and white sesame seeds to give it texture and nutty flavour.
• It was almost like cornbread and it’s fine without butter, but even better with it.
• The smoked sea salt butter adds a savoury smoky flavoour which I love.

First Course

North Arm Farms Beet Panzanella Salad - 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• Harissa dressing, shaved ricotta salata
• Jackson Triggs White Meritage 2009
• This was the standard first course.
• I had this before for brunch (see North Arms Farm Pickled Beet Salad) and I must say I enjoyed that version even more.
• On the regular menu it’s served with shaved ricotta silata, scotch pearls and olive oil sorbet $13
• It was a very fresh and clean salad with shaved watermelon beets, baby golden and red beets, frisee and arugula.
• Beet salads are quite common, but the quality and types of beets is what made this one unique.
• It was served with two dollops of harissa dressing which is a North African dressing made with paprika, chili, garlic, and coriander.
• There was a nice sweetness and tang from the pickled beets and the dressing added bold flavour as well as complementing sweetness.
• This Harissa dressing almost tasted like a spiced Middle Eastern molasses, but not as thick and with a nice sweet and smoky balance without being spicy.
• There were a couple large crunchy homemade croutons on the plate for texture and I would have loved more shave ricotta salata since it was very subtle.

Second Course

Seared Albacore Tuna - 3/6 (Good)

• Winter minestrone, parmesan pistou and crisp basil
• Add burgundy truffles shaved tableside $12
• Wine pairing: SYL Ranch Nelly 2009
• This was the standard second course and although good, it wasn’t as memorable as the sauteed spot prawns (+$9 supplement).
• The tuna was seared rare, but I was looking for that charcoal grilled flavour to come through.
• It sat on a winter minestrone which was almost like a tomato orzo meets a ratatouille.
• The winter minestrone had butternut squash, carrots and tomato and it wasn’t soupy, but more of a sauce or side with the added orzo.
• The Parmesan pistou seemed more like an herb puree and I think a pesto would have worked better giving it more flavour.
• There was a slight cheesiness that showed up for short moments on random bites, but otherwise I was hoping for a bit more.
• It reminded me of the ahi tuna I had at Federico’s Supper Club – see Ahi Tuna Special.

Sauteed Spot Prawns – 5/6 (Excellent)

• Kale, chilli, lime and romesco sauce +$9 supplement
• Wine pairing: Jackson Triggs White Meritage 2009
• This was a new dish for me and I really enjoyed it, but again it was a supplement.
• It’s the first BC Spot Prawns I’ve had this year and it made me miss them even more.
• I couldn’t help to think what they did with the heads, and I was hoping they would be deep fried and served alongside.
• There was a very strong acidity to this dish with vinegar braised juicy kale, fresh lime segments, and a slight kick of chili that left a bit of heat, but wasn’t spicy.
• Romesco sauce is one of my favourite sauces and it’s a Spanish sauce made from fire roasted tomatoes and ground almonds.
• The sauce almost looked like pureed uni (sea urchin) and it was very creamy, rich, smoky and nutty and played well as a sophisticated “cocktail sauce”.
• The prawns were seasoned and cooked well without being mushy and the bursts of lime segments kept the dish fresh and bright.
• The crispy parsnip chips made for texture and there were also pieces of toasted pistachio nuts which I loved for crunch and flavour.

Poached Lobster - 4/6 (Very good)

• Lemon herb risotto, cognac cream +$12 supplement
• Add white truffles from alba shaved tableside $40
• Wine pairing: SYL Ranch Nelly 2009
• It’s ambitious offering risotto during Dine Out when it’s usually extra busy and dishes need to be sent out quickly.
• Everything about this was a time sensitive dish, but it was actually quite perfect and the risotto was cooked with care although I wouldn’t mind the Arborio even a bit firmer.
• It was rich and creamy with a hint of parsley, but I did miss a little more cheese because it was more buttery than it was cheesy. It wasn’t very cheesy at all.
• The lobster bisque was a wonderful addition except I couldn’t taste the lobster crustaceans and it just tasted a little like a tomato bisque, but not as acidic and more sweet.
• I could have used a hint of saffron in the risotto or bisque to give it another layer of flavour.
• The cheese and lobster bisque was rich in texture, and unusually subtle in flavour although not bland.
• The only real downfall was that the lobster was a bit overcooked and chewy, however there was a whole piece of it which was better than having it all cut up and mixed in the risotto.
• The lobster is pretty much the most important part to this dish, so it’s harder to forgive.

Third Course

Seared Lake Babine Salmon - 3/6 (Good)

• Squash puree, almond tapenade
• Wine pairing: NK Mip Pinot Blanc 2010
• I’m a bit biased with this dish because I’ve had the original from the regular menu – see here.
• On the regular menu it’s served with roasted North Arm Farms vegetables, creamed leeks, caviar-lobster hollandaise $35
• I’ve tried the Lake Babine Salmon Tasting Menu before and it is quite delicious – see here.
• This is kind of one of my issues with Dine Out and I was hoping they would serve things from the regular menu and just leave all the ingredients as is. I know caviar-lobster hollandaise is hard to give with a $38 price fixe, but that’s kind of the catch 22.
• Had I not been given the down low for why the Lake Babine Salmon isn’t served with the skin I would have been disappointed, but since I already knew I could let it go.
• The Lake Babine Salmon skin is hard to cook and make taste good so they just leave it out.
• I do wish there was an effort to replace the texture of the crispy skin though like they did for the same dish on the regular menu.
• The salmon was cooked medium and it was quite firm, but not dry. I do like Lake Babine Salmon, but it’s definitely not an oily or buttery breed of salmon.
• The almond tapenade was potent with olive, almond and I think pumpkin seeds which I love.
• The fish needed that texture and flavour of a heavy sauce and the sweet and creamy squash puree balanced out the saltiness of the tapenade.
• I liked the brussel sprouts, but would have like a couple crispy brussel sprout leaves and/or deep fried capers for texture, especially since there was no crispy salmon skin.
• The best salmon I’ve had at C (and one of the best in general) was the Seared Hawkshaw Salmon.

Roasted Beef Tenderloin - 5/6 (Excellent)

• Walnut polenta, tarragon butter, confit portobello mushrooms +$12 supplement
• Add spot prawns $8 Add poached lobster $18
• Wine pairing: Petales d’Osoyoos 2008
• A steak is a steak and I normally order steaks only at steakhouses. I wouldn’t think to order steak at a seafood restaurant either, but this was a very pleasant surprise!
• Everything on this plate melted in your mouth like butter, and the only thing that didn’t really melt was ironically the butter.
• The steak was excellent and it has a great crust and dry rub and I could taste the charcoal flavours. It was perfectly cooked to medium rare and it was a great steak.
• It was topped with a terragon butter which was very herby and not salted, but it didn’t really melt into the steak so I wish it was served a bit hotter.
• Even better is if that butter was a blue cheese mousse/butter… together with the walnut polenta I might have cried happy tears.
• The walnut polenta was probably one of the best polentas I’ve had and I could taste the freshly ground walnuts. The texture of that and the cornmeal was enough for me to remember for a long time.
• The polenta was creamy, nutty, buttery and rich and the au jus just folded nicely into it. It was better than a pommes puree and I love pommes puree.
• The sauce could have been a bit thicker and more reduced, but this was a sign of the restaurant getting busy, which it was since it was Dine Out (even busier).
• The confit portobello was incredibly oily (not greasy) and meaty in flavour, but not in texture. It pretty much melted in my mouth like silk and it seemed almost sous vide in duck fat, not just sauteed in it.
• I would have loved some actual toasted walnuts as a garish, but I still found this excellent.
• The wine was an amazing wine and I could drink it with or without the steak. It was smooth and well aged and I’d be interested in just buying a bottle for the weekend.

Spiced Chocolate Pudding - 5/6 (Excellent)

• Vanilla chantilly, crisp caramel puffed rice
• Wine pairing: Sumac Ridge Vintage Pipe 2006
• Again, I’m a bit biased with this dessert because I’ve had the original from their regular menu – see here.
• The original is actually one of the best desserts I’ve had at C.
• The chocolate pudding tasted like a mild chocolate gingerbread pudding.
• It was creamy, rich and in between a pudding and a mousse. It was almost smoother and creamier than a pannacotta if possible.
• It had nice warm spices of cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and cloves and a hint of vanilla bean seeds.
• It was creamy and smooth and not too sweet and the crunchy caramelized puffed rice on top gave it great texture. It would have been great as pecans too.
• The vanilla chantilly didn’t have the vanilla bean seeds and I wish it did.
• This was excellent, but the original was just out of this world (as cliche as that sounds).

Petit Fours

• Lemon Poppyseed Biscotti and candied ginger
• This was more like a soft and tender and slightly chewy lemon poppyseed shortbread than a biscotti, but it was good.
• I actually enjoyed eating it with a little candied ginger sprinkled on top.

Restaurant: The Urban Tea Merchant – “Year of the Dragon” Signature Afternoon Tea
Cuisine: Tea/Pacific Northwest/Sandwiches/Desserts
Last visited: January 18, 2012
Location: Vancouver, BC (Downtown)
Address: 1070 West Georgia Street
Subway stop: Burrard
Price Range: $30-50+

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

Food: 3.5-4 for Afternoon Tea (6 for tea)
Service: n/a
Ambiance: 4
Overall: 4
Additional comments:

• Family owned/operated
• Flagship location in downtown
• Original location in West Vancouver
• Cafe/tearoom/gift shop
• Popular for afternoon tea
• Tea sampling welcomed
• Tea education classes
• Sophisticated, but kid-friendly
• Limited wine/champagne list
• Brunch 10am-1pm
• Afternoon Tea 12-5pm
• Mon-Wed. & Sat.: 10am – 7pm
• Thurs-Fri.: 10am – 8pm
• Sundays & Holidays: 12pm – 7pm

**Recommendations: Any of their teas. Freshly Baked Scone, Petit Tea-Infused Chicken Salad Cone, and “Year of the Dragon” Signature Afternoon Tea

On the third day of Chinese New Year my true love gave to me, the “Year of the Dragon” Afternoon Tea! Well that’s something different! It’s the second day of Chinese New Year and I mentioned The Urban Tea Merchant’s Chinese New Year menu in Follow Me Foodie to the Chinese New Year Kick Off & Chinese New Year Menus! It may not be traditional, but it’s something new, modern, fun and still festive to the New Year.

The last time I came to The Urban Tea Merchant was for their Holiday Afternoon Tea, and this time I was invited to their “Year of the Dragon” Afternoon Tea in honour of Chinese New Year. These special feature menus are festive twists on their standard Signature Afternoon Tea Service, and the “Year of the Dragon” Afternoon Tea is available from January 16th to January 31st. Even if you don’t come for afternoon tea, they do have a tea boutique as well as some Chinese New Year teas at their gift shop.

And this is my favouite part of The Urban Tea Merchant. They carry about 200 kinds of TWG Tea which is a 100% natural, high end luxury tea from Singapore and they’re the exclusive distributors for it in Canada. I could probably spend a day here just smelling all the various teas and it’s definitely a place for tea lovers and tea connoisseurs. If you’re neither, no worries, they have tea sommeliers to assist you.

Obviously this is not going to be a traditional Chinese New Year menu. Traditional dim sum is often compared to Afternoon Tea, and in this case it was still very much a Western version of Afternoon Tea, but with slight influences of Chinese and Asian ingredients. This is the first year The Urban Tea Merchant has introduced a Chinese New Year Afternoon Tea Service and I was ecstatic at the idea. We live in a multi-cultural city and it’s just another option to celebrate food and ring in the Chinese New Year.

Although I enjoyed my Holiday Afternoon Tea Service here last time, I wasn’t necessarily keen on the food. I found it pretty good with some unique tea-infused twists, but I didn’t really see the full value and I did expect a bit more. However on this occasion I felt like I did get more and my experience and food was even better, although still pricey. Perhaps it was because I already knew what to expect, but even so, there were improvements to the menu that I could see and taste. I just felt like there was more creativity and effort and maybe that was due to the theme. The “Year of the Dragon” Signature Afternoon Tea was generally well played and presented.

Now heads up! Xi Shi Lounge at the Shangri-La Hotel nearby is also hosting a Special Chinese New Year Afternoon Tea Monday, January 23rd through Sunday, January 29th from 11:30 am to 5:00 pm. $34 per person. Compared to The Urban Tea Merchant the items are more traditional Chinese with dim sum inspired bites like BBQ puff pastries, shrimp dumplings, egg tarts, mochi balls and more. My post here.

On the table:

Tea Sommelier’s Choice of Chilled TWG Tea Jasmine Pearls Tea & Sorbet

• I didn’t get this last time, but they start you off with a little amuse bouche or palate cleanser.
• The chilled tea was the White House which was very mild, light and refreshing with rose notes and fruity flavours of berries.
• The mango sorbet is delicious! It tasted like pure mango pulp and it was smooth, creamy, rich and thick and full of natural mango flavour without being too sweet.

**TWG Tea Selection – 6/6 (FMF Must Try!)

• TWG Tea is a 100% natural, high end luxury tea from Singapore.
• It’s a premium quality tea at a premium price, but if you appreciate tea, it’s easy to see the value.

• Jade Dragon Tea – 50g/$58
• This is a very rare green tea and although it appears mild, it has a strong finish that’s slightly dry and bitter. It’s reminiscent of a traditional Chinese tea and it goes with everything.
• It’s very expensive due to its unique qualities, and it’s an included option in the Year of the Dragon Signature Afternoon Tea at no extra charge.
• Dragon Gate Tea - 50g/$11
• This was a mix of white, green and black tea and there were hints of ginger and mint.
• There was a natural sweetness and the mint was mild, but almost a flavour that went away quickly.
• The ginger was more aromatic and not spicy, and I could taste it without it being dominant.
• This went well with sweet and savoury food.
• Timeless Tea – 50g/$11
• This was perhaps my favourite and it was incredibly fruity in aroma and flavour.
• There were strong notes of Hibiscus and sharp flavours of red berries in a black tea base.
• It was naturally sweet in flavour and would even taste great chilled.
• Earl Gray Chocolate Tea – 50g/$9
• It tasted more chocolatey than it smelled and it worked well with a bit of cream.
• It wasn’t particularly sweet or bitter and I found the chocolate quite mild.
• It was a good tea, but I probably wouldn’t choose it to pair with an Afternoon Tea.

“Year of the Dragon” Signature Afternoon Tea Service - 4/6 (Very good)

• $48 per person
• Chef’s selection of savouries and sweets and tea of your choice.
• It was still very much a Western style Afternoon Tea Service, but there were some playful Asian influences and ingredients used here and there.
• It’s not meant to be traditional Chinese and I appreciated the effort and variety of savoury and sweet selections.

Savoury Tier

• From top: Open faced smoked salmon, wasabi mayo & soy jelly, Tiger Hill Tea-infused egg salad sandwich, Cucumber, watercress & cracked black pepper sandwich, Traditional wrapped Peking duck & plum sauce, Wagyu beef carpaccio with horseradish foam, Petit tea-infused chicken salad cone & petit savory tart, Boursin cheese mousse with crisp endive & candied walnut, Baby shrimp & chopped apple served in Chinese spoon.
• I loved the variety this time and I was so happy it wasn’t all tea sandwiches.
• It seemed like there was more effort and higher quality ingredients
• Sure there were some standard things, but there were also a few surprises and I never got bored which is key.

Traditional Wrapped Peking Duck & Plum Sauce – 3/6 (Good)

• This was the most traditional the menu got and I didn’t even expect it to get this traditional. It was nice!
• It was a home made parsley and garlic crepe wrapped with a little piece of duck, carrots and green onion with Plum sauce.
• Of course this is a modern take of the authentic Peking Duck wraps, so it was in its own category and I wouldn’t compare them.
• It was served cold and I could have used a bit more duck and I was hoping for crispy skin, but the crepe was thin and there was good texture and balance of sweet and savoury.

Open Faced Smoked Salmon, Wasabi Mayo & Soy Jelly – 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• So it’s definitely more Japanese than it is Chinese, but regardless of the origin, it was good and it wasn’t just the typical “smoked salmon sandwich”.
• I liked the open faced concept much more than the sandwich because the salmon was a bit hidden as a smoked salmon rillette sandwich. 
• I would have loved if the bread was toasted for texture and extra nuttiness, but I could taste the salmon, hint of lemon zest and kick of wasabi.  
• They really didn’t hold back on the wasabi and I loved that! It wasn’t burning at all, but it was obvious and it worked with the freshly cracked black pepper.
• I would have loved more from the soy gel because it added a desired saltiness. The squiggle on top was unusual, but I appreciated the effort.
  

Wagyu Beef Carpaccio with Horseradish Foam – 4/6 (Very good)

• Using a high quality ingredient like Wagyo beef are the things that show value to the afternoon tea menu. These are things I wanted in the previous menu, but I’m glad they’re doing it now.
• Again, more Japanese than Chinese, but as long as it’s good, I’m okay.
• It was on a crunchy piece of toast with a layer of roasted garlic tapenade and black pepper Wagyu beef on top.
• I was surprised the horseradish foam was so mild considering the wasabi in the salmon was so strong, so if anything stronger horseradish would be great because I would have never guessed there was horseradish.

Selection of Tea Infused Sandwiches

• Tiger Hill Tea-Infused Egg Salad Sandwich - 2.5/6 (Okay-Good)
• $15 a la carte
• It was good, but I thought it was just a regular egg salad sandwich with alfalfa sprouts on multi-grain bread, but this time it wasn’t dried out.
• It was easy with the mayo, but the tea was unnoticeable even though it was infused for 24 hours.
• Had there been more egg salad I might have been able to tell, but the nuttiness I was getting was coming from the bread more than the tea infusion.
• I almost wanted the Chinese Soy Sauce Tea Leaf Eggs, but that’s something entirely different.
• Cucumber, Watercress & Cracked Black Pepper Sandwich - 2/6 (Okay)
• This was quite standard and expected with a little cream cheese, but I wouldn’t mind more crunch of cucumber.

**Petit Tea-Infused Chicken Salad Cone & Petit Savory Tart – 4/6 (Very good)

• $15 a la carte as a sandwich
• It was a thin, crisp, and lightly sweetened mini waffle cone stuffed with chicken salad. I had this last time and my feelings haven’t changed.
• I almost wanted dried cranberries, pomegranate seeds, or nuts in the chicken salad for texture and flavour, but it was just a basic chicken salad with some celery, although it was good!
• I can’t say I tasted the tea in the chicken salad and it was perhaps a bit smoky, but I wouldn’t have known unless I was told there was tea in it.

Petit Savory Tart - n/a

• I think they forgot this…

Boursin Cheese Mousse with Crisp Endive & Candied Walnut – 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• I was really happy they replaced the Celery Confit with Gorgonzola Mousse with this! I liked this much better!
• It’s not hard to do and expected, but it was still good and I could taste the Boursin cheese.
• It would have been great with the Gorgonzola, but endive leaves are more costly than celery.

Baby Shrimp & Chopped Apple served in Chinese Spoon - 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• I really enjoyed the baby shrimp salad in a spoon more so than a tea sandwich. I just couldn’t taste the shrimp in the sandwich as much.
• It was creamy and sweet and savoury with crisp fresh apples and I wouldn’t mind having the dill in the salad rather than just as a garnish.
• It was pretty literal, but it had texture and it was still good.

Cheese Petit Quiche – 2.5/6 (Okay-Good)

• This wasn’t made in house before so I loved that they started making it in house. It adds more value to the menu and shows that extra bit of effort.
• It was a standard quiche in a thin soft tart with a little cheddar cheese melted into it.
• It’s quite basic, but as a one biter, it was fine, however as a full quiche I would expect more.

**Candied Ginger Scone with Devonshire Crème & Tea-Infused Jelly – 5/6 (Excellent)

• $4 a la carte
• I loved this scone! It’s actually from Savoury Chef a great catering company in Vancouver.
• It would have been even better warm, but it was excellent regardless.
• It had a nice crunch on the outside and the inside was almost cakey and not dry.
• The crunch was the best part though. It was like a cookie!
• It wasn’t that buttery or really flaky, but it was delicious!
• There were some candied moist ginger and it wasn’t too sweet or rich, and it was indeed a scone, not a biscuit.
• It was served with strawberry jam instead of tea-infused jelly though.
• The Devonshire creme was the real deal too and not whipped cream with creme cheese or creme fraiche etc.

Sweets Tier

• Tea-infused macaron, chocolate dipped dragon fruit, chocolate truffle, petit fours, fresh exotic fruit, Matcha tea-infused fortune cookie

Petit Fours - 4/6 (Very good)

• The Petit Fours are made by TWG Tea and distributed by The Urban Tea Merchant.
• I love marzipan cakes and petit fours, but the fondant is usually too sweet and sugary, or just not good.
• In this case the fondant was more like a semi-soft white chocolate shell and it was very sweet, but good compared to the usual fondant.
• The cake wasn’t dried out like last time, and I enjoyed it much better. This probably varies with shipment and the you happen to get it.
• Personally my favourite marzipan cake is from Market by Jean-George – see Marzipan Layer Cake here.

Fresh Exotic Fruit

• Chocolate dipped dragon fruit, dragon eye, star fruit, pineapples and oranges.
• I wasn’t expecting the star fruit, dragon fruit or dragon eye so I was quite impressed with the details.
• I don’t even know where to buy Dragon Fruit right now, but they were actually pretty sweet.
• It would have been even better if the dragon fruit was dipped in Matcha white chocolate to continue the theme, but this was still good.

Chocolate Truffles – 4.5/6 (Very good-Excellent)

• I tried the 1837 Black Tea (Signature tea with berries, anise and caramel) and the Singapore Earl Grey truffles.
• As mentioned, the chocolate truffles are made by Chocolate Arts in Vancouver and distributed by The Urban Tea Merchant.
• The truffles are all infused with teas which again I’m a fan of.
• The truffles are great quality and made with 70& dark chocolate.
• They had nice creamy tea infused ganache centres and thin shells, but the tea was quite subtle for my tastes.

TWG Tea Infused Parisian Macaron (Raspberry Tea Infused Macaron) - 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• $4 each
• As mentioned in the intro, I do find them very expensive, and it’s because they are flown in from Singapore on a weekly basis.
• They are made by TWG Tea with TWG Teas and distributed by The Urban Tea Merchant.
• The pastry chef who made these trained with the Mecca of macarons Ladurée, which I tried in New York – see my post here.
• I wrote a post called The Perfect Parisian Macaron so that just shows where I’m coming from.
• It was well made and it actually tasted just like a Ladurée macaron, but even better assembled.
• However I wasn’t huge on the Ladurée macarons because they didn’t have a crisp shell and this one didn’t either.
• The macaron was good, but it was missing the crisp shell and I do find them overpriced and I couldn’t taste the tea.

Matcha Tea-Infused Fortune Cookie - 4/6 (Very good)

• I really didn’t expect this either! So cute!
• A homemade Matcha Fortune Cookie was another detail that just added to the effort of the menu.
• I suggested selling these separately, but unfortunately it’s only available with the “Year of the Dragon” Signature Afternoon Tea.
• They were made with real Japanese TWG Tea Matcha powder and it was really strong and high quality which I loved.
• It wasn’t bitter or that sweet and it was very crunchy and almost brittle. I really enjoyed them.

Follow Me Foodie to National Peanut Butter Day!

It’s Everything and Anything Peanut Butter!

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

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

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

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

Follow Me Foodie to Everything and Anything Peanut Butter!

Monkey Butter

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

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

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

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

Peanut Butter Hedgehog

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

The Peanut Butter Sandwich

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

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

Peanut Polvoron

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

PB&J Bon Bons

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

Peanut Butter Crunch Bar

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

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

Chicken Karekare

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

Peanut Butter

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

Follow Me Foodie to the Taste of BC 2012!

It’s the first Follow Me Foodie contest of the year! Welcome to the 18th annual Taste of BC 2012 food and wine event at the Four Seasons Hotel in Vancouver, BC. On January 24 from 4:30pm-7:30pm guests will be invited to sample some of BC’s wineries, beers and spirits accompanied by nibbles from local restaurants.

I had the pleasure of attending Taste of BC 2011 so I’m excited to see what they have planned this year. It’s definitely a wine focused event so I hope there’s a bit more balance with food this year to form a proper bed for absorption. Regardless, it’s a charity event and all proceeds go to benefit BC Children’s Hospital Foundation to support the Oak Tree Clinic, which provides services for those struggling with AIDS/HIV.

If you don’t win this contest you can always still purchase tickets. Tickets can be purchased at all Liberty Wine Merchants locations for $49.99 each. For locations see here.

Enter to Win 2 Tickets to Taste of BC 2012!

How to enter:

1) “LIKE” the Follow Me Foodie Facebook Fanpage

OR

2) Comment on this post with your favourite wine.

OR

3) RT the following:

I entered the @followmefoodie #contest to win tickets to Taste of BC 2012 http://bit.ly/yN7h9V

Winner will be selected at random. Contest closes January 20, 2012.

Follow Me Foodie to Healthy & Cheap Eats in Vancouver!

Fat and broke from the holidays?

Yes? Well it just means you enjoyed yourself so don’t look back. It’s okay, we’re all in the same boat… or sinking the same boat? If you’re not in this category than pass this post on to your friends that could benefit. It may be insulting, but it’ll be a true test of friendship. If you missed my Foodie Friday segment on NEWS 1130AM radio this morning (11am every other Friday) here’s a quick recap.

Healthy and cheap are surprisingly hard to find, and healthy, cheap and good is even harder. Sure there are your salad bars and under 6 grams of fat Subway sandwiches, but eating healthy and cheap doesn’t have to be boring either. I’m not saying salad bars and Subway are boring (Jared Fogle ate it for how many years?), but there are more options and cuisines to explore.

Sure I could give you a list of vegan/vegetarian places, or you could just google those? Personally I’m a lover of rich, indulgent and heavy foods and could never really count a smoothie as lunch, but at this time of year, “healthy and cheap” is in demand. It’s okay, I get it, and who doesn’t want to save a penny?

I’m also not going to generalize everyone in one giant “fat and broke” category, so the following are just some suggestions for healthier and more affordable options. You decide which quote suits your current situation and bon appetit!

PS: I don’t think you’re fat… and I really hate that word.

Follow Me Foodie’s Healthy & Cheap Eats in Vancouver!

“I want something quick, healthy and cheap, and I’m not vegetarian or vegan.”

Photo from Something Healthy website

Try Something Healthy Wholesome Meals & Juice Bar – Menu items include whole wheat thin crust pizzas with skim cheese, baked sockeye salmon fillet with side of brown rice/quinoa & roasted veggies and freshly squeezed juices and smoothies. It’s quick healthy fast food, with items under 400 calories and less than $10.

Address: 660 Abbott Street, Vancouver, BC (Gastown)

“I ate one too many chocolate calenders and there was only December. I’m a step away from an acne commercial and I’m wearing elastic pants. I don’t mind having a smoothie for lunch and I still have cash for my gym membership… and/or yoga classes.”

Try The Juice Truck – It sounds like you may need a major detox. Menu items include The Pineapple Beat juice (Pineapple pressed with strawberry, apple, beet & ginger), The Strawberry Coconut smoothie (Strawberry blended with coconut meat, coconut milk, banana, raw cacao nibs, vanilla & agave) and there’s even a daily soup special if a drink just won’t cut it. It’s about $6-8 per drink, but the quality of ingredients are high. It’s not necessarily cheap, but who cares when you still have money for yoga!

Address: 200 Abbott Street, Vancouver, BC (Gastown)

“Eating turkey over the holidays is what I called “dieting”, I want my meat without feeling too guilty. Fries are vegetables because potatoes are vegetables.”

Bamboo-Charcoal Dark Miso Ramen

Try Motomachi Shokudo – Craving ramen and think it’s healthy? Not exactly, but here’s a healthier option for it. Motomachi Shokudo is a healthier take on ramen offering lighter broths. The Bamboo-Charcoal Dark Miso Ramen is a blackened soup made with powdered bamboo charcoal and miso ($9.75) and it’s the healthiest option on the menu.

Address: 740 Denman Street, Vancouver, BC (West End/Robson)

“Isn’t there anything more adventurous than brown rice and a salad? I don’t count calories, and my pants are slightly tighter than my cash… “

Photo from Dine Out There

Try Nuba -  It’s Lebanese and Middle Eastern healthy fast food at reasonable prices. It’s not really “cheap eats”, but it’s not expensive either. I’m sure if you count the calories, starches and fat it’s certainly not as healthy as a garden salad, but how many garden salads can you really eat? This is relatively healthy, a bit different, and full of spices and flavour.

Address: 4 locations in Vancouver, BC – see here

“I’m living in an apartment I can’t afford and went boxing day shopping on a line of credit… but I still fit my clothes!”

Try Ba Le Deli & Bakery or Au Petit Cafe – A Banh Mi (Vietnamese sub) is the ultimate in cheap eats. For around $3 it’s one of the biggest bangs for your buck! Ba Le Deli & Bakery and Au Petit Cafe are the two institutions and local favourites for them. The Vietnamese cold cuts, pate or dark meat chicken (depends what you choose) and the French baguette might not be healthy, but you still fit your clothes and are blessed with great genes… and probably look great in a pair of jeans! FYI you can’t use a line of credit for these because most likely the restaurants accept cash only.

Ba Le Deli & Bakery address: 701 Kingsway, Vancouver, BC, or 633 Main Street, Vancouver, BC, or #101A 15277 100th Ave, Surrey, BC

Au Petit Cafe address: 4851 Main Street, Vancouver, BC

Restaurant: Fray
Cuisine: American/Local/Pacific Northwest/West Coast
Last visited: December 22, 2011
Location: Vancouver, BC (Kensington)
Address: 3980 Fraser Street
Bus: SB Fraser St FS E 23 Av
Price Range: $10-20 ($15 mains)

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

Food: 3.5
Service: 3
Ambiance: 3.5
Overall: 4
Additional comments:

• Local ingredients
• Comfort food w/twist
• Fun/retro diner ambiance
• Good for groups
• Gluten free options
• Vegetarian options
• Reasonably priced
• Beer available
• Board games available
• Accepts credit cards
• Sat-Sun – 9AM brunch
• Mon-Sun. Dinner 5pm-10pm

**Recommendations: Rosemary Potato Chips WITH Parmesan dip or truffle aioli, Portobello French Fries, Fray Burger WITH added Egg, Fray Poulet Chicken Dinner

Vietnamese restaurant, Vietnamese restaurant, dive, Vietnamese dive, nail polish salon, karaoke shop, “for rent” space, Fray, Vietnamese restaurant, no wait! Stop! Back up! Back up! Back up! What’s that? What’s Fray? Well that’s what I wanted to know too! It’s definitely an unexpected location for a Pacific Northwest restaurant. Fray is one of Vancouver’s newest restaurants offering creative comfort food made with local BC ingredients. It’s new and refreshing to the neighbourhood and faces little competition in an area saturated with mainly “the typical” Vietnamese restaurants.

I actually received an e-mail from the owners notifying me of its opening, but due to scheduling I ended up randomly visiting unannounced on my own time and dime. The space is large and spacious and they even offer boardgames to their guests. It’s very casual, playful, laid back and more or less something you would expect to see on Main Street or Commercial Drive. I question if it would do as well if it was actually on those streets facing similar competition though. It kind of reminded me of a slightly fancier The Red Wagon and less fancy Commune Cafe. It has a diner like appearance, vintage feel and modern retro decor, which is quite exciting and charming to the area.

The food is modern comfort food with an approachable twist, which is quite popular in Vancouver, but this time it’s not overpriced, which is a rare find in Vancouver. It’s a place where you can eat and get full and I could sense the passion and the effort. As for the whole “local/organic” bit, I wasn’t as convinced since there were lots of non-seasonal ingredients. I wouldn’t have guessed that was the theme, but it was definitely marketed that way.

I get what they’re trying to do, but I’m more infatuated with its unique location than the actual food, but the food was good for the price. I’m not raving about it, but I’m satisfied with it and it’s a fun place. I’d be more surprised and impressed if I found the restaurant randomly with no expectations though. I like the intention of the restaurant, and it manages to be inventive and affordable without sacrificing quality or portions.

On the table:

Fray’s Famous F-Bombs – 2/6 (Okay)

• Our signature dish; fresh figs wrapped in Fraser Valley bacon with a balsamic reduction $7.95
• They’re usually a 6/6 thing for me. If you’ve never had them and you like sweet and savoury you’ll likely enjoy them.
• Bacon wrapped dates are one of my favourite things and I’ve had a lot of versions of these in the States, so I only found these ones okay.
• The figs weren’t big and plump and they were quite soft and mushy and the bacon wasn’t crispy enough to contrast the fig.
• The figs tasted like sticky dried figs although they were moist. I’m not sure where they would get fresh figs at this time of year anyways… ?
• It was what it was and there was a nice salty and sweet balance with an acidic sweet tang of balsamic reduction and I appreciated the thick strip of bacon.
• Personally when I make them at home I like to stuff them with almonds and brie or blue cheese for extra texture and flavour.
• Just for comparisons sake, here are some excellent ones outside of Vancouver that I’ve had – Dátiles con Beicon from Boqueria, Griddled Bacon Wrapped Dates from Tasty n Sons, and the one who apparently started the trend was Firefly Tapas in Las Vegas. I’m glad the idea is finally in Vancouver, but they can get better.

**Rosemary Potato Chips – 4.5/6 (Very good-Excellent)

• A stacked bowl of house made rosemary infused potato chips $4.95
• I started eating them with Parmesan dip (from the Sex Pistols) and the truffle aioli (from the Porotobello French Fries) and it was even better.
• I highly recommend ordering the dips separately with these chips! You have to make the request.
• This was one of my favourite things and I would never think to order them.
• It was a huge bowl of warm, salted, crispy, thin cut potato chips that were perfectly seasoned and baked.
• It was more like a gourmet and fresh Lays chip than a Pringles or Mrs. Vickie’s.
• I could taste the aromatic rosemary and they were naturally a bit oily, but I enjoyed them thoroughly.

**Portobello French Fries – 4/6 (Very good)

• The death of the French Fry! A jenga tower of breaded portobello strips lightly fried and served with truffle aioli $8.95
• Everyone loves these and I did as well, but I also love portobello mushrooms. This was a pretty heavy appetizer.
• They were very crunchy with a thick panko batter, but the mushrooms were also thick cut and meaty enough to make it taste like it wasn’t just batter.
• The batter didn’t slip off the mushroom and it was never floury, soggy or mushy.
• The mushrooms were juicy and they were well executed, but I couldn’t taste much truffle in what I thought was just garlic aioli.

Sex Pistols – 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• A stack of sauce-loaded chicken drumettes. Choose from hot sauce with parmesan dip or honey curry with tandoori $9.95
• These were hot sauce with parmesan dip, but they weren’t very hot at all.
• The wings were good and not dry with a small kick, but for being called “sex pistols” I thought they’d be much spicier.
• The parmesan dip tasted like sour cream with some actual parmesan cheese in it so it wasn’t smooth and pureed.
• The parmesan dip was cooling with the mildly spicy chicken, but I enjoyed it most with the Rosemary Potato Chips.

Seasonal Soup – n/a

• A cup of fresh soup served with grilled focaccia. Ask your server for today’s special. $4.50
• It was chicken noodle soup and I didn’t order this, but there was no rave or complaint.

**Fray Burger WITH added Egg – 5/6 (Excellent)

• A patty of house ground Pemberton BC beef with cranberry tomato ketchup and mayonnaise served with house salad. $10.95
• YES! That is an an added FRIED EGG to the burger which was done upon request.
• This had an added tomato ($2) and a fried egg ($1).
• The photo is perfect for my Beauty of an Egg Yolk Series.
• The egg was only a featured option for The Fray BLT, but it was what made this burger amazing.
• I just wanted to top it off with wedges of avocado… and pulled pork and bacon.

• The egg really made this burger, and I’m not sure how I would have felt without it.
• The burgers are popular here, but I wish they were available medium rare since they are house ground.
• I found the bun much too thick although soft and chewy.
• It was the Filipino purple yam buns, but it didn’t taste or really look like the ones I’ve seen before.
• The patty was quite thick, not dry, and very well seasoned.
• The patty could be juicier, but the slab of mayo and egg yolk helped sauce it up.
• I couldn’t taste the cranberry tomato ketchup and if I removed some of the bun, I enjoyed it!

Porchetta Sandwich – n/a

• Roast pork with caramelized onion and horseradish mayo on rustica bread $8.95
• If you’ve had the Porchetta Sandwich from Meat & Bread, then you’re going to want to compare them.
• I’m judging purely on looks since this wasn’t my order, but I was hoping for some cracklings.
• My friend said the pork was generous, but it didn’t seem freshly made although still good.

TaunTaun Burger - 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• Inspired by the Empire Strikes Back: beef patty with pulled pork, bacon, cheese, ketchup & BBQ sauce, on a purple yam bun. Slit it open and climb on in! $15.95
• Yes! Layer anything with pulled pork and I’m there.
• The pork isn’t the same one they use for their pulled pork sliders (which they ran out of on this night), but this was good and juicy.
• The bacon was crispy and the patty had a good thickness and it was moist and very well seasoned again.
• It was white cheddar cheese and again there was too much bun for the burger, but it was a good burger.
• Again, the bun is soft, but a bit chewy and it still didn’t taste or look like the Filipino purple yam buns I’m used to seeing.
• I would have preferred a fluffy white bun or brioche bun.

**Wild Mushroom Ravioli – 4/6 (Very good)

• Filled with mushroom and marscarpone with brown sugar sage and roasted cashews $13.95
• These ravioli are the chef’s recipe, but they’re made somewhere else.
• It was a fair portion with lots of cashews which I appreciated. If it wasn’t pine nuts, then buttery cashews are a good alternative with ravioli.

•  The ravioli was cooked al dente and the inside was filled with minced mushrooms and some herbed bread crumbs. It still had a dominant mushroom flavour though, so it wasn’t all filler.
• It was nice and buttery and well sauced, but I wanted more sage presence and the butter wasn’t quite browned yet.
• The marscapone was very mild and barely noticeable, but it was still a very good pasta dish with a nice nutty crunch of cashews.
• As a restaurant with a focus on local ingredients, I would have loved to see fire roasted cherry tomatoes, actual pieces of Portobello mushrooms and some whole leaves of sage though.

Mac and Cheese (with sausage and bacon) – 2/6 (Okay)

• Artisan radiatore pasta with sharp cheddar, bechemel sauce and spices. A real winter warmer $12.95
• Add tomato, mushrooms $1 each Blue cheese, sausage and bacon $2 each
• This one had added sausage and bacon ($16.95), but there wasn’t enough to justify the cost and the portion isn’t very big overall.
• If there was no sausage and bacon it would have been quite bland.

• The cheese sauce was more like a thin white sauce and it tasted more like a butter sauce with a hint of cream than a creamy cheese sauce.
• I couldn’t taste cheese or spices and the sauce just didn’t stick to the noodles.
• The noodles were quite overcooked and very soft and the sausage was homemade but not particularly noticeable or memorable.
• The bacon and sausage didn’t seem infused in the sauce and it just seemed like buttery noodles.
• It was sprinkled with a crispy panko crust and that was my favourite part.

Mac and Cheese (with Blue Cheese) – 2.5/6 (Okay-Good)

• Artisan radiatore pasta with sharp cheddar, bechemel sauce and spices. A real winter warmer $12.95
• Add tomato, mushrooms $1 each Blue cheese, sausage and bacon $2 each
• If you order the mac and cheese you almost have to add blue cheese ($14.95), even if you’re not a fan of it, because otherwise it just tastes like melted butter with a bit of cream.
• I couldn’t taste any cheese without the crumbled blue cheese.
• There wasn’t too much blue cheese, but it was the only thing giving the dish flavour.
• I loved the cripsy panko gratin crust, but the noodles were overcooked again and the sauce on the runny side.

Pacific Salmon de Orzo – 1.5/6 (Poor-Okay)

• Fresh west coast salmon pan-seared and resting on a bed of orzo pasta $14.95
• This was quite disappointing.
• For this type of restaurant I didn’t expect the salmon to come with the skin, but I always prefer the skin. I’ll overlook that though.
• However, the salmon was dry and slightly overcooked and so was the orzo (rice shaped pasta).
• Both were quite bland and the orzo really just tasted like pasta with spinach and a bit of red pepper. I actually make the same one at home, but I add feta, lemon and dried cranberries.
• For a local and organic type of restaurant I expected more presence of greens.
• I think they’re capable of something more like the Seared Salmon Risotto from Commune Cafe.

**Fray Poulet Chicken Dinner – 4.5/6 (Very good-Excellent)

• 5 spice half roasted BC chicken served with seasonal vegetables, artisan herb gnocchi and chicken pan gravy $16.95
• This was maybe my favourite dish. It was unexpected!
• It was a huge roasted chicken and it was super juicy, tender and moist and dripping sauces everywhere.
• The dry rub was fantastic and it was just Chinese 5 spice powder, but it tasted fresh and it was very strong and aromatic.
• I could taste cumin, cinnamon and cloves with some black pepper and maybe cardamom. It tasted like freshly ground house made 5 spice.
• I was hoping the seasonal veggies would be seasonal though, and turnips or root vegetables would be nice to see over green beans.
• The gnocchi was also fantastic and they were generously sauced with a creamy buttery chicken gravy.
• The gnocchi was semi-crispy and very soft, pillowy and moist with a nice tender chew and good potato flavour. It was a very well done and certainly one of the better gnocchi I’ve had in Vancouver and in general.
• I would love to see fresh herbs incorporated into the gnocchi or pan fried with the gnocchi too.

At the THOROUGHBRED – A Day at the Races

2011 Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Yearblog

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

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

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

Top 15 Most Memorable/BEST Restaurant DESSERTS in Vancouver:

Miku Restaurant – Blueberry-Lavender Coconut Cream Tart

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

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

2. Miku Restaurant – Blueberry-Lavender Coconut Cream Tart

3. Fratelli Bakery- Saint Honoré Cake

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

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

6. TacoFino Cantina – Chocolate Diablo Cookie

7. Savary Island Pie Company – Lemon Buttermilk Pie

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

9. Faubourg – Lemon Tart

10. Café Régalade – Monaco Torte

11. Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill – Olive Oil

12. ManCakes Bakery – Breakfast ManCake, Buffalo Wing ManCake

13. Gorilla Food – Avocado Pie

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

15. Thomas Haas – Stollen

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

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