Tales of the Cocktail 2012

The world’s premier cocktail festival arrives in Vancouver, BC!

It’s the 10th Anniversary for Tales of the Cocktail! Love cocktails? Well obviously not that much if this is the first time you’ve heard of this event. If you haven’t bought your tickets, booked your days off, or even booked your hotel rooms, then you’re not very prepared and you better get on that! Or just buy your ticket and worry about it later, although the only thing you’ll be worrying about later is what excuse to use for not showing up to work on time, or even at all.

Tales of the Cocktail is the world’s premier cocktail festival which happens annually in New Orleans. Having been very successful last year, it will make its appearance in Vancouver for the second time. It truly is an honour to have them visit Vancouver and it says a lot about our cocktail scene. The city should be really proud, but then again we always are.

It’s a 4 day event from February 12 to February 14. Just in time for Valentine’s Day! Whether you’re hitched or single, this is an event where everyone is ready to mingle, so wedding rings off and let the fun begin! No, I’m totally kidding, but seriously I would take the days off work because your boss won’t want you there anyway… and you for sure won’t want to be there. Come one or come all, the events are all entertaining, and even if you don’t think so, I’m sure there will be someone you’ll find entertaining.

Apothéke in Manhattan, New York

I don’t want to make the event sound like it’s for rowdy college students, because it’s not. The festival is actually made for cocktail professionals and enthusiasts and it is open to the industry and public alike. It involves many of our local talented bartenders and mixologists, as well as many internationally recognized ones leading some of the workshops. With scheduled seminars, dinners, competitions and tasting rooms there are many events for ticket holders to attend throughout the day.

One of the cocktail workshops I’m looking forward to most is “Born to Mix“, where attendees learn about spirits and liqueurs from Dushan Zaric, who is one of New York’s cocktail masters. The course seems to really examine alcohol, help discover your profile, and apply it to mixing drinks. It’s all about the art and science behind the cocktail. Of course tasting the drinks is part of the process and I’m just hoping I can retain all the information… luckily the class is at 10:30am.

Tales of the Cocktail is essentially a 4 day celebration of the cocktail. All the events take place at The Fairmont Pacific Rim in downtown Vancouver and for more details and ticket info – see here.

**Please plan travel and accommodations wisely and party responsibly.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On the table:

**Margherita – 4.5/6 (Very good)

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

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

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

Amatriciana – 4/6 (Very good)

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

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

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

Bianco Rosa - 4/6 (Very good)

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

Follow Me Foodie to National Peanut Butter Day!

It’s Everything and Anything Peanut Butter!

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

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

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

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

Follow Me Foodie to Everything and Anything Peanut Butter!

Monkey Butter

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

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

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

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

Peanut Butter Hedgehog

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

The Peanut Butter Sandwich

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

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

Peanut Polvoron

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

PB&J Bon Bons

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

Peanut Butter Crunch Bar

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

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

Chicken Karekare

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

Peanut Butter

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

Follow Me Foodie to Shit Foodies Say!

SHIT FOODIES SAY!

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

Subscribe to my YouTube channel here.

“Like” Follow Me Foodie on Facebook here.

Follow Me Foodie to the Chinese New Year Kick Off & Chinese New Year Menus!

Gong Hay Fat Choy! Sun Lien Fai Lok! Gong Xi Fa Cai! Xin Nian Kuai Le!

Nom nom nom! Ah yes, those are phonetics everyone might understand! Happy Chinese New Year and welcome to the year of the dragon! “Puff the Magic Dragon lives by the sea…”, I bet you’ll be singing that all day now. Anyways, it’s the year of the dragon, one of the few animals Chinese people don’t eat… and why? Because they’re mythical creatures that only exist in forms of tattoos on Asian gang members… and in Mulan. Anyways, if you missed my Foodie Friday segment on NEWS 1130AM radio this morning (11am every other Friday) here’s a quick recap.

If you don’t have reservations for your Chinese New Year dinner or more importantly Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner, you’re likely not going to get any of the “Best Chinese Restaurants” the city has to offer. But no worries! There are lots of other options! Being in Vancouver, even plan B or C isn’t that bad for Chinese food. We’re lucky to live in a place where excellent Chinese food isn’t hard to find.

There are endless options in the city for Chinese food and various ways to participate in the celebration of the New Year. If you want to do it the traditional way, then a traditional Chinese restaurant with a traditional Chinese menu, and a group of 10 people is the way to do it. However we’re in Vancouver and traditions don’t have to be followed, it’s more about the spirit and always about the food, so grab your chopsticks and toothpicks and Follow Me Foodie to various Chinese New Year Menus in Metro Vancouver, BC!

This is a very small dent in the Chinese restaurant scene and there and many more options than this, so please use this as a rough guide. Feel free to leave a comment if you have questions or need further suggestions.

Follow Me Foodie to Chinese New Year Menus!

“I’m a foodie of tradition and I’ll eat all 10-12 courses myself if I have to! Bring on the real deal!”

Dried Oyster with Fat Choy from Fisherman’s Terrace at Aberdeen Centre in Richmond, BC

You said it! Almost all the formal Chinese restaurants will have a set menu for Chinese New Year. It should include Chinese mushrooms, fish, chicken, noodles, and abalone if you go for the higher end menu. There are different menus and prices usually set for 10 and you can expect to spend anywhere from $280-$800 for a table of 10 at a nicer Chinese restaurant. Each restaurant should have at least 4 different set menus for you to choose from.

Dried Oyster with Fat Choy is a very traditional dish for Chinese New Year and there is a lot of symbolism behind it. You can listen to my explanation of it here on air with CBC Radio last year.

Here are some sample menus of traditional Chinese New Year dinners I’ve had: Fisherman’s Terrace, Shun Feng Seafood Restaurant, Kirin Seafood Restaurant and The Jade Seafood Restaurant.

“I want to do something traditional, but less formal and I can’t get a reservation for dinner.”

Make it a dim sum! It still may require a reservation, but your chances are higher for dim sum than dinner. A few dishes traditional to Chinese New Year are the Pan Fried Radish/Turnip Cakes and the Pan Fried Taro Cakes. They are both savoury cakes and the Radish/Turnip Cakes (different names, same thing) are definitely available all year. There’s also a traditional sweet brown sugar rice cake called “Nian Gao” and these cakes symbolize a sweet year and growth… growth in prosperity, success, and height… although the last is wishful thinking. Just kidding, but cake or pudding in Chinese is “Gao” which means height or raising higher.

You can also buy premade ones and pan fry them at home yourself. Almost all the of dim sum restaurants will sell ready to fry ones during this time. It’s tradition to buy them and give them away to people as gifts during the New Year. Saint Germain Bakery sells nicely packaged ones (see here), so if you really want to impress someone… *ahem* bring one for their mother.

Dim sum options: Richmond options: Red Star Seafood, J&C Top Gun Restaurant, Rainflower Restaurant, The Jade Seafood Restaurant, Empire Chinese Cuisine, VivaCity Seafood, Kalok Seafood Restaurant, Sea Harbour, Kirin Seafood Restaurant, Good Eat Seafood Restaurant etc. Vancouver options: Kirin Seafood Restaurant, Red Star Seafood, Dynasty Seafood Restaurant, Golden Ocean Seafood etc., and Burnaby option: Grand Dynasty Seafood Restaurant. There are honestly so many options and if you’re not familiar with your dim sum, then get cracking! Not knowing what or how to order is no excuse when I have pictures to help

“I prefer a modern take on Chinese food and don’t have 10 friends/family I like.”

Try Wild Rice. It’s a modern fusion take on traditional Chinese cuisine and they have a special Year of The Dragon Prix Fixe Menu designed for 2 from January 22 – February 4, 2012. (I hope you have at least one person you like). The menu includes Water Dragon Platter for Two, Dungeness Crab Salad, Steamed Ling Cod, Albacore Tuna Tartare and a dessert Plate of Food Wishes. $38.88 for two people.

Wild Rice Vancouver: 117 W. Pender Street at Abbott on the edge of old Chinatown, 604-642-2882

Wild Rice New Westminster: 122-810 Quayside Drive in the River Market, 778-397-0028

“I’m a tea connoisseur, and I’ve done the dim sum, but I want something new and modern.”

This is the shrine for tea lovers. Their tea library and quality of luxury teas are incredible. From January 16th – January 31st, 2012, The Urban Tea Merchant is introducing their “Year of the Dragon” Signature Afternoon Tea Service. The menu includes Tiger Hill Tea-infused egg salad sandwich, traditional wrapped Peking duck & plum sauce, chocolate dipped dragon fruit, dragon eye fruit, Matcha tea-infused fortune cookie and many more savoury and sweet bites. $48 per person. Full menu here.

The Urban Tea Merchant Downtown Vancouver: 1070 West Georgia St. Vancouver, 604-692-0071

The Urban Tea Merchant The Village at Park Royal: G3 – 825 Main St. West Vancouver, 604-926-3392

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. See my post here.

“I prefer the hotel version of Chinese New Year.”

Photo Credit Pan Pacific Vancouver

So you’re a little less adventurous and maybe not a fan of the traditional stuff? Or your dining with some “white bread and butters”? Or you need something for the kids? (I personally believe kids should be introduced to unfamiliar food at a young age though). Well whatever the reasons are you’ll get a good mix of everything (including non-Chinese items) at the Cafe Pacfica Restaurant.

This Sunday January 22, Cafe Pacfica Restaurant at Pan Pacific Vancouver is hosting their annual Chinese New Years Day Brunch Buffet which includes a fancy buffet featuring: Chinese Charcuterie, Dim Sum, Lemon Chicken, Wok Station, Sushi Station, Omelette Station, Carving Station and many more things. The dessert buffet offers Chocolate Dipped Fortune Cookies, Sweat Bean Sesame Balls, Egg Tarts, Sago & Lotus seed pudding, Chocolate Mousse and Creme Brulee. See the full menu here.

The buffet also includes a live piano performance and a great view – see here for prices and more details.

Pan Pacific Vancouver: 300-999 Canada Place, Vancouver, 604.891.2555

“Just take me to a Chinese New Year fair and let me sample random Chinese goodies!”

Aberdeen Centre in Richmond, BC is hosting their annual Chinese New Year flower and gift fair January 19-29 (see hours here). There will also be a live countdown on January 22 at 10:30pm – 12:10am in the Central Atrium of the mall. Parking will make you want to pull each strand of hair out one by one and you may discover a heightened sense of road rage, so I highly recommend taking the Canada Line… thank me later.

Make sure you check out the Dragon’s Beard Candy stand. It’s Chinese style cotton candy stuffed with sugared ground peanuts and it will be extra popular this year since it’s the Year of the Dragon. It’s a special dessert that’s labour intensive to make and the “cotton candy” is hand pulled.

Aberdeen Centre: Suite 130, 4400 Hazelbridge Way, Richmond, 604.270.1234

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

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

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

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

**Recommendations: n/a

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

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

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

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

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

On the table:

Sweet Revenge - 2/6 (Okay)

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

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

Apple Pie - 2/6 (Okay)

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

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

“Smooth Operator” – 3/6 (Good)

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

Strawberry Beer

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

Hot Water

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

Follow Me Foodie On Dine Out Vancouver 2012!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hapa Umi – Dine Out Vancouver 2012 – $38 Menu

Appetizers Choice:

Albacore Tuna Tataki – Salsa verde, crispy tortilla ribbons

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

OR

Tofu Salad – Citrus Soy Dressing

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

OR

Edamame Potage Soup – Grilled Sake Sausage

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

Entree Choice:

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

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

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

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

Tofu Steak – 8 grain risotto, scallion-ginger soy

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

Dessert Choice:

White Sesame Panna cotta – black sesame ice cream

OR

Matcha Mille Fuille – puff pastry, matcha custard

OR

Chocolate Mousse Roll Cake – Chocolate genoise, cinnamon ice cream

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

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

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

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

Appetizers Choice:

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

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

OR

Fontina Ravioli – Sweet onion and thyme broth

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

Entree Choice:

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

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

OR

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

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

OR

Roasted Porchetta – Cannellini bean puree, braised pork cheek arancini

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

Dessert Choice:

Cento Classic Frozen Tiramisu

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

OR

Lemon Tart – Marscarpone Creme

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

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

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 Polvoron Cookies!

That has been me for the last few weeks, except replace the chocolate chip cookies with Polvorons.

If I can’t kick the addiction, I’m going to be selfish and drag you all down with me… unless you’re diabetic, in which case relish in the descriptions and pictures. Actually, I wouldn’t consider this being selfish because I’m about to introduce you to one of the Cookie God’s greatest gifts. If you already know about them, then you already get it.

The first step is to admit it. I am addicted to Polvoron cookies. These cookies are not anything new, but perhaps a cookie that not everyone is familiar with. It is originally a Spanish shortbread cookie that has been adapted by Latin American countries and the Philippines. It’s pretty much a Spanish influenced shortbread cookie made with toasted flour, milk, butter, and sugar that is cooked and moulded into a cookie.

I was first introduced to Polvoron a couple years ago. My friend brought me one from Goldilocks in Vancouver, which is a famous Filipino bakery (or as many Filipino’s would call a bakeshop) from the Philippines. If you’ve never been to a Filipino bakery, you’re in for a treat.

I fell in love at first bite. I literally took one bite and a couple chews of Pinipig Polvoron before I stopped and my eyeballs nearly fell out of their sockets. No, not because I almost choked, but because they were so amazingly delicious. Yes, it’s just a cookie, but it’s a very unique type of shortbread with an unexpected texture. I haven’t had one in a while, but this Christmas she brought them for me again and my love was rekindled.

Polvorons are one of the best shortbread cookies I’ve ever had to date. Another amazing shortbread cookie is the Gorgonzola & Pistachio shortbread cookies from Coach House Shortbread Company in Toronto, which I also discovered over the holidays.

Freshly baked Polvorons at Goldilocks ready for packaging.

You can find imported Polvoron at specialty Filipino stores and sometimes at T&T Supermarket. However the one and only place you should really get them are at Goldilocks. It’s the only place I know that’s making them in house and the Filipino community generally considers them as “the best polvoron”. They’re also relatively easy to make yourself and require few ingredients too. If you’ve never had one before I suggest trying a bought one first so you have an idea of what it should taste like.

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

**Polvoron - 6/6 FMF Must Try!

• Similar to the English Shortbread; a mixture of toasted flour, milk, butter, and sugar cooked and then molded; available in the Plain and flavored variety ( with Cashew, Pinipig-rice crispy, Ube, Chocolate honey almond, and Peanut); name is derived from “pulbos” in Tagalog to denote a powdery candy.
• $10.50 for Assorted package of 12 or $.90 each
• If you like these, you should also try the Japanese Okinawa Matcha Shortbread from Cake-Ya and the Chinese/Macau style Almond Cakes/Cookies which are made with mung bean flour and are more almond based than sugar based. Try the Koi Kei brand from T&T Supermarket.

**Plain Polvoron - 6/6 FMF Must Try!

• $10.50 for Assorted package of 12 or $.90 each
• You should start with the original.
• It’s like biting into the most delicious sandcastle.
• They’re a bit drier, richer and heavier than an English shortbread cookie, but not in a buttery way, although there’s still a good amount of melted butter.
• It’s a super creamy shortbread cookie and it’s not gritty, but quite soft, powdery and crumbly and it just melts in your mouth.
• It’s definitely more sugary and nutty (from the toasted flour) than buttery in flavour and it’s sweet, but not hurt your teeth sweet.
• It’s a much finer and drier crumb compared to an English shortbread cookie due to the dry milk powder used.
• It’s dusted with sugar and it looks sweeter than it is and there’s also a bit of vanilla extract for flavour.
• I wish they used all butter to make them, but Goldilocks does use shortening as well. I also wish they used pure vanilla extract, but they’re good enough for me to overlook and I take what I can get, and so far Goldilocks is all I can get.

**Pinipig Polvoron – This is my favourite kind and a must must try flavour. It’s the only flavour that has a crispy texture due to the little bits of rice crispies in it. It’s like the lovechild of a shortbread and a rice crispy square.

Ube (Taro) Polvoron – This is my second favourite. I’ve only recently tried it, but if you like taro bubble teas (powdered, not fresh), you’ll love this.

Peanut Polvoron – This one is almost like a peanut butter shortbread. There weren’t actually any noticeable peanuts in it, but perhaps a few peanut crumbs.

Cashew Polvoron - This one had some tiny cashew crumbs in it, but there were no actual whole cashews to bite into.

M&M Polvoron - This is new and it’s just the plain Polvoron with smashed up bits of M&M chocolate candies.

Chocolate Honey Almond Polvoron – It’s not really chocolatey, but more malted in flavour. There are also little crunchy bits of almonds in it and the nuts are more noticeable in size than they are in the cashew and peanut polvorons. It’s not particularly sweeter than the others and the honey isn’t that obvious, but it’s still good.

Follow Me Foodie Tasty Twists for Polvoron Cookies!

Crumble Polvorons and sprinkle it on top of yogurt or ice cream. 

Make Polvoron ice cream sandwiches.

Slice bananas, dip them in melted peanut butter and roll them in Polvoron cookie crumbs. Eat them as is or frozen.

Blend Polvoron up with milk and vanilla ice cream for Polvoron Milkshakes.

Spread some Nutella on a Polvoron cookie and sprinkle with fleur de sel. 

Other Goldilocks recommendations: Pandesiosa (Loaf of soft sweet bread topped with a sugar glaze), Ensaymada (Sweet brioche topped with melted butter and grated cheese and sugar after baking), Mamon (French Sponge Cake)

I decided to try the Aling Conching Polvorons just for comparisons sake.

Aling Conching Polvoron with Purple Yam & Rice Crispies - 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• Polvoron with Purple Yam & Rice Crispies 10 for $2.59
• I found these at 71 Food Store - 8710 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC which is a little hole in the wall convenience store with Filipino products.
• Aling Conching Polvoron are imported from the Philippines.
• They’re still an edible sweet delicious cookie, but just not as good quality as Goldilocks’ Polvorons overall.
• They’re smaller than Goldilocks’ Polvorons, and a bit sweeter and softer with a finer more powdery crumb.
• Although not as good, they are a lot more affordable and they do the job for a quick fix.