Chopsticks on Pho

Oh wow, it has been a long 12 years since I last set foot into Chopsticks on Pho out in Surrey.  Now don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the food there and at the time, they were doing something that wasn't quite trending yet.  You see, they were one of the few Vietnamese restaurants operating in a modern dining space as well as doing fusion cuisine.  I had my doubts about it since it really wasn't a thing yet.  They are still around today, so they must've been doing something right!  Well, the owners remembered me and decided to invite me back.

In addition to the food from the kitchen, they now produce their own artisan sauces that are all hand-made and jarred.  Some of these were used in the Tasting Platter consisting of one skewer each BBQ Nem Pork and the Satay Chicken, Grilled Garlic Prawns, Salad Roll and Crispy Pork Spring Roll.  Now if you look at the picture, you'll notice that the spring roll is missing.  Not sure what happened there, but it will make an appearance later on in another dish.  I really enjoyed the skewers as the meat was tender and full-flavoured due to the marinade and sauce.  The pork was tender with a nice rebound while exhibiting its usual smoky and sweet notes as well as some fish sauce.  The satay sauce for the chicken was sweet and nicely spiced.

Here is one dish where the spring roll makes an appearance...  in the Chef's Special Rolls.  As you can clearly see, the spring roll was encased within a salad roll.  Now the picture doesn't do this roll justice in representing its size.  I ate half of one and that was a lot.  First things first, the spring roll itself was large and stuffed with moist and seasoned pork filling with veggies and noodles.  The roll remained crispy despite being surrounded by a salad roll.  What really elevated these rolls was the dips on the side.  In particular, the satay sauce was out-of-this-world.

After this, we moved onto the BBQ Pork Banh Mi with all pickled veggies, jalapeno, cilantro and house aioli on a French baguette.  This featured an airy and light baguette that still had some bread texture left.  The outside was a bit crusty but didn't shatter completely upon the first bite.  Inside, the pork was moist and tender while having a pleasant natural flavour.  Good crunch from the ample pickled daikon and carrots as well as some acidity.  Peppers provided heat while the cilantro did its usual herbaceous thing.  This came with a bowl of broth that could be eaten as soup or used as a dip for the sandwich.  I personally wouldn't dip it because I love the crunch of the bread, but hey, you do you!

If you have followed me for awhile, you will know that if something is going to be vegetarian, it'd better be delicious for me to like it.  Well, their Pho Xao Tofu or veggie Pad Thai was something that I really enjoyed.  The ample amount of noodles were chewy with lots of elasticity.  They were bathed in a sweet and tangy sauce that was also briny and a touch spicy.  The addition of pickled veggies and the sprouts added crunch while the peanuts provided the aromatics.

A similar-looking dish was the Curry Basil Fried Rice with chicken.  Being a fried rice, this ate remarkably different though.  The chewy rice was fairly sauced, hence it was a touch moist instead of being dry.  The initial spoonful was definitely sweet and full of caramelized flavours.  The basil did come through while the curry was more in the background with an earthy spice.  I felt that with the squeeze of the lime wedges it really helped balance out the sweetness with acidity.

Moving back to the vegetarian side of the ledger, we had the Buddha Bowl which was presented much more like a platter.  It consisted of rice noodles topped with pressed tofu in a satay curry peanut sauce.  This was like liquid crack as it had elements of sweetness, spice, pepperiness and nuttiness.  The texture of the pressed tofu added body to the dish and I kept eating it.  We also found some crispy veggie spring rolls and a wealth of veggies with a vegan vinaigrette dressing.

So here we have the Crispy Pork Spring Roll make another appearance.  Since it was cut diagonally lengthwise, you can see how there was so much filling.   This came with the Chicken Satay (which was also in the Tasting Platter).  Really love that satay sauce with the coconut rice as the aromatics were off the hook.  Normally, this comes with vermicelli noodles, but since we've had that in other dishes, the rice was definitely a great canvas for the impactful sauce.

In addition to the Curry Basil Fried Rice, the other new dish on the menu is the Curry Beef Pho (this can be had with other proteins as well).  Piled up high, the rare beef was sliced thin and as it cooked in the hot broth, it turned out to be buttery tender.  About that broth, it started off sweet and clean but had a considerable kick at the end.  There was nuttiness and briny spice from the red curry.  Really delicious and a good alternative to the regular Pho.

But we couldn't pay them a visit and not have a bowl of "The Works" Pho right???  With the same rare beef majestically on top of the other meats (brisket and beef meatballs), this was a hearty bowl of soup noodles.  The broth was very clean and did not have any muddled flavours.  In fact, it was sweet and meaty despite not looking as such.  There was some background daikon and star anise vibes.  Hidden underneath, there was a considerable amount of al dente rice noodles.

To compliment our savoury and spicy food, we got a couple of smoothies including the Aloe Avocado and Mango Tango.  Both were creamy and smooth while not too thick, so they were very drinkable.  Since I love mango, that was my favourite of the two.  They were on the sweeter side, but paired well with our food as it was almost like a palate-cleanser.  Onto dessert, we were served some Vietnamese Coffees that were so rich and flavourful.  The condensed milk really balanced it off with creamy sweetness.  The dessert was Deep Fried Dough Sticks with a sweet peanut dip.  These "yau tiao" were super light and airy with a crispy crunch.  Loved the dip as it was purposefully sweet with lots of peanut flavour.  In the end, it was so nice to be back at Chopsticks on Pho.  Glad to see that the owners are still doing well while continuing to innovate with their artisan sauces.  Sure, prices are a touch higher than most, but you are also getting both quality and quantity as well as a nice dining space.  I really should bring the fam out, even though it is a bit of a drive for me!

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Great-tasting food
- Well-portioned
- Super nice people (I can say that because my first visit was on my own coin!)

The Bad:
- It does cost a bit more than most

Shanghai Dumpling King (Kingsway)

For the longest time, I've been trying to pay Shanghai Dumpling King on Kingsway a visit.  But every time I've been foiled by either a long lineup or lack of parking available in the tight parking lot and/or on the street.  Also, with all of the other places I can eat at, I just lost interest.  However, Ophilia insisted I go and we made plans to have dinner there on a weekday night in hopes of avoiding all the aforementioned challenges.  So we were able to find a parking space and actually snag the last small table in the place.  Finally, mission accomplished!

Getting right to the point, the one dumpling that you must order here is the Potstickers.  These are so on point with a medium-thick skin that is pliable and also has nice elasticity.  The bottom is crisped up beautifully while the pork & cabbage filling is tender and juicy.  In fact, it is beyond juicy because there is actually soup inside.  In terms of taste, they are well-seasoned and I could taste the natural sweetness of the pork.  If you order one of their combos, a Tea Egg is included.  They are bound to be overcooked because they sit in the warm braising liquid before it is served, yet as you can see in the picture, they are not that overcooked.  Flavours do penetrate nicely into the egg.

The next must order dish here is the Dry Noodles mixed with scallion oil.  This is even better with the Pork Chop braised in soy.  So aromatic and bright, the chewy noodles have just the right amount of oil that is infused with the flavour of scallions.  It is also well-seasoned where the balance between savoury and sweet is just right.  That pork chop is braised to the point it is falling apart.  It is glazed with a sweet and savoury sauce that has a bit of smokiness as well.  If you want it all, then you must order The Meeting of Three that includes Spicy Pork and also Pickled Vegetable with Sliced Pork.  Of the 2, I think the pickled veg & pork would be my choice.  Too bad it is cold, would like it hot.  However, this normally goes into a soup noodle which warms it up.

They have 2 wontons on the menu in the Secret Stuffing Large Wonton as well as the Tiger Prawn Small Wonton.  Both feature medium-thick wonton skins that are delicate with a bit of bounce texture.  I find that the large wontons are the shepherd purses with leafy greens and pork.  They are fairly dense and definitely eat like a meal.  These go well with the supplied chili oil at the table.  For me, the shrimp wonton are the right size and light texture that I enjoy.  I think the seasoning can be more aggressive, but at the same time, it allows us to use the smoky and mildly spicy chili oil condiment once again.  As for the soup, it is super light, yet comforting during these cold months.  In general, the menu at Shanghai Dumpling King is limited and the food is pretty straight forward.  Yet, that is what makes the place appealing.  They offer only a few things and they do it well for a reasonable price.

 

The Good:

- Those scallion noodles and pork chop

- The potstickers

- Reasonable pricing

 

The Bad:

- Not a lot of seats and it is tight in there

- Wontons are not bad, but not as good at the other dishes

Mauna Sushi

Okay, so this is like my 16th visit to Mauna Sushi?  I've been here so much that we have lost count.  It is not secret that I absolutely love this place where the food is delicious and prices are fair.  They offer up a variety of dishes including their signature aburi oshi, that is Downtown quality.  For those who don't know, they were closed for renovations for quite some time, but they have reopened with a refreshed interior and a revamped kitchen.  Hence, they can offer up a wider variety of cooked dishes as well as pumping out more sushi with quicker turnaround.  Jackie and I went recently to check them out.

We started off with a few things that weren't available on the previous menu (at least not officially) in the Hamachi Sashimi and Uni Nigiri.  As you can tell in the picture, the hamachi had a nice sheen and fresh appearance.  It was buttery with the taste of the sea.  As for the uni, it was creamy and sweet sitting atop chewy seasoned sushi rice.  Nice to see these options available now as the old selection of sashimi and nigiri were quite basic.

Now they also offer a few more small plates including the Ebi Fritter and the Ika Karaage.  Super light and crispy, the ebi fritters had an exterior texture similar to the deep fried taro dumplings you'd find at Cantonese Dim Sum.  The ebi itself was meaty with a snap while the combination of chili mayo and unagi sauce added just the right amount of flavour.  As for the fried squid, it was coated with just enough batter for some crunch.  Otherwise, the squid itself was the star with a tender bite while being well-seasoned.  It came with a side of kewpie mayo.

So we can't forget about the classics right?  Therefore we had the Aburi Ebi Oshi, Aburi Salmon Oshi, Aburi Saba Oshi and the Aburi Hotate Oshi.  Yep, these are just as good, if not better than the ones you find at Miku and Minami.  Due to its location and lack of high-end amenities, the prices for these at Mauna are also more affordable.  I really like how the components are well-portioned and fresh.  Also, the sauces are on point with proper torching.  Can't go wrong with these.

We tried a couple of new noodle dishes starting with the Kaisen Soba.  Okay, we manipulated the noodles so you could see the ample seafood.  Usually, it is hidden underneath.  Anyways, the noodles were al dente and bathed in just enough moisture to keep them from being clumpy.  There was a rich soy/dashi flavour to it that was savoury and full of umami.  The seafood was cooked perfectly with buttery prawns, soft scallops and tender squid.  Loved the shiitake mushrooms too as they also added body and more umami.

As for the second noodle dish, the Seafood Yaki Udon also had a bevy of the same seafood except we didn't touch it and left it how it arrived (LOL).  Once again, the seafood was perfect with the same textures as the soba.  In this one, there was plenty of mentaiko mixed in with the stir-fry adding a lovely brininess.  There was lots of sweetness provided by the seared onions and the overall seasoning of the dish was just right.

In addition to their popular Explosion Roll, they have now created a King Explosion Roll that has limited availability.  The original one consisted of imitation crab, spicy tuna and cucumber with torched oshi sauce, tobiko and black pepper on top.  The new one replaces the imitation crab with real crab, subs sockeye salmon for the tuna and adds uni.  For me personally, I still would go for the original explosion roll, the flavours work more in harmony.  The marinated spicy tuna with sesame oil notes along with the fairly neutral-tasting imitation crab with the bright crunch from the cukes are complimented well by the pops of brininess of the tobiko and creamy smokiness of the aburi sauce.  The new one has some of those elements but the uni does dominate the flavour profile and hence breaks the harmony.

So we can't pay a visit to Mauna without having one of their awesome Sushi Tarts.  They take everything tasty that they have in their arsenal and employ it into one item.  That is the tart with its sushi rice base, a layer of ripe and fresh avocado, they some spicy tuna, more sushi rice, a layer of sockeye salmon, aburi sauce, chopped scallop and ebi.  Put that all together and we have some elements of the explosion roll but with more distinct layers of impact.  So delicious.

Two more new specialty rolls on the menu are the Galaxy Roll and the "Bird's Nest" Roll.  The galaxy roll had very little rice compared to the considerable amount of hamachi, hotate and spicy prawn with large slices of tuna tataki on the outside.  This was pretty subtle-tasting with only unagi sauce doing the heavy lifting.  As for the bird's nest, it contained real crab, hotate and asparagus on the inside with red tuna on the outside.  The impact came from the fried leeks with ponzu on top.  They were pretty sweet and added crunch as well.

When we were served the Tonkotsu Black Ramen, I was initially quite skeptical.  Normally, non-ramen spots do not make good versions of the dish.  However, this one here was more than acceptable with flavourful broth with umaminess.  The black garlic really came through with its fermented essence.  The chashu was buttery soft while the noodles were chewy.  Even the egg was soft and custardy.

Onto a pair of rice bowls, we had the Chicken Katsu Don and the classic Unagi Don.  The piece of chicken featured a crunchy batter while being tender inside.  There was some egg and seared onions added to the mix.  Underneath, we found chewy rice with enough sauce for effect.  Sure, an unagi don can be pretty typical, but this one featured small slices that were individually seared so it was caramelized and smoky.  Of course there was the sweet unagi sauce on top with the same chewy rice underneath.  Pretty tasty.

Okay, you might be wondering why there is a picture of a California Roll and a Dynamite Roll ending this blog post.  Sure, these are not necessarily the rolls I would personally order here, but they have a lunch special that features a small roll of each and miso soup for only $9.99.  Good deal for those looking at a quick meal or take out.  But for me, it is all about the aburi oshi and specialty rolls.  Glad to see they added some other delicious cooked items to round out the menu.  I guess it means I'll be here even more!

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- The aburi sushi here

- Cooked food is solid too

- Reasonably-priced

The Bad:

- Loved how they addressed the limited menu issue and also added another sushi chef to speed up the orders, but due to the physical limitations of the place, seating is still limited  

Bow & Stern (The Amazing Brentwood)

A few Summers ago, we had visited the Abbotsford location of Bow & Stern and came away quite pleased with our meal.  Sure, it wasn't perfect, but for the price, we felt it was decent value.  Fast forward to the present and now they have opened up a brand spanking new location at The Amazing Brentwood.  Situated above Ramen Jinya, this Bow & Stern is rather fancy compared to the one in Abbotsford.  We decided to check it out one Friday night.

We didn't go for any of the appies, instead we had the Hot Seafood Platter.  This consisted of arctic char, lobster tails, tiger prawns, mussels & clams, rice and broccolini.  This was generally quite solid where the prawns were buttery with a sweet snap.  The lobster tails were cooked just right retaining moisture and having that rebound texture.  Clams and mussels were good where the white wine cream broth was served on the side.  It was great to drizzle over the fluffy rice.  Unfortunately, the arctic char was a bit overdone and bland.  Broccolini was excellent being crunchy and vibrant.

For myself, I went for the 2-Piece Cod & Chowder in lieu of the chips.  Being a gluten-free batter, it was somewhat crispy on the outside and plenty gummy on the inside.  It wasn't my favourite.  As for the cod, it was cooked beautifully being moist and flaky.  Loved the tartar as well since it wasn't too thick nor chunky.  As for the Boston Clam Chowder, I quite enjoyed it.  The broth was briny and well-seasoned while the amount of ingredients was sufficient.  It wasn't too rich, which made it easier to finish.

Viv had something a bit lighter in the Salade Niçoise sporting the usual components including seared ahi tuna which was perfectly rare.  It was also bright in flavour and soft in texture.  Nicely salted too.  As for the greens, they were aggressively dressed in a tangy white balsamic dressing which was fine by us.  The usual green beans, olives, potatoes, soft boiled egg and tomatoes were all present.  Loved that he egg wasn't overdone while the potatoes were of the crispy variety.

My daughter opted for her usual in the pan-seared Wild Salmon with dijon horseradish aioli atop rice and broccolini.  The salmon didn't look very moist but in fact it wasn't overdone nor dry (despite the albumin on the side).  It was flaky and mildly seasoned.  The sauce was creamy and not too heavy on the horseradish.  Just like the rice that came with the hot seafood platter, it was fluffy but not too wet.  Also, the broccolini was cooked just enough.

My son decided on an ol' favourite with a twist in the Lobster Grilled Cheese.  This, of course, included Atlantic Lobster, white cheddar, mozzarella and Old Bay cream cheese on grilled sourdough.  It was generally quite good except it was a little lacking on the lobster.  The pieces he did find were great though.  There was plenty of cheese though so it was a solid grilled cheese, especially with the crispy bread.  He went for the yam fries on the side which were crispy.

For my mom, she had the 8oz Top Sirloin with a side of wild mushroom demi-glace (an extra $3).  She asked for it to be prepared rare and it was exactly that.  The char on the outside was crispy and smoky with proper seasoning.  However, the steak wasn't super tender, but understandable considering the cut.  Also, not really sure why she ordered it given it is a seafood restaurant.  We found the mashed potatoes a bit dense, yet still decent.  Broccolini was excellent as with the other dishes.  We found the demi-glace to be too thick though.

Onto dessert, we ordered both the Warm Chocolate Lava Cake as well as the Vanilla Crème Brûlée.  We felt the lava cake was textbook and it offered up moist chocolatey cake with melty chocolate ganache in the middle.  We weren't so fond of the crème brûlée though as it was too thin and also too sweet.  It did have a properly torched sugar topping though.  Overall, we were satisfied by our meal at Bow & Stern but not enough to plan a return visit.  I think there is potential here given the location and seafood-themed menu.  I hope there are some further refinements as time goes by.

The Good:
- Nice dining space
- Most of the seafood was cooked properly
- Excellent service

The Bad:
- Batter for the fish was not very good
- Crème Brûlée was below average

Elem

The fine dining scene in Vancouver is ever-changing and slowly catching up to the rest of the world.  You can't really compare with places that have lower operating costs, so in Vancouver, it is always a challenge to invest so much in decor.  One of the newest spots, Elem on Main, takes you to New York with its modern, yet simple design.  Top Chef alum Chef Vish Mayekar is at the helm and offers up a global menu that incorporates sustainability.  My visit here was only 5 days into their full operations, so keep that in mind when reading this blog post.

Now food is one thing, but their cocktail program run by Beverage Director Winnie Sun receives equal billing at Elem with a beautiful and spacious bar that conveniently faces the kitchen from the other side of the restaurant.  There are 4 distinct sections to the restaurant that represent the elements including Earth, Water, Air and Fire.  They have a commitment to no-waste as all the trimmings go into the mother stock and any other scraps goes into fermentation. Even the copper that frames the kitchen will change organically over time.  

We began out meal with some Prosecco with elderflower, peppercorn and cardamom.  This was served with a side of Winnie's Szechuan Peanuts.  As for our first round of cocktails, we had the Best Tacos Pepe and Butternut Squash first.  Topped with candy lego bricks, the BTP was smooth with an almost vanilla finish (from the evaporated & condensed milk).  As for the second cocktail, it was a take on an old-fashioned with smokiness and the mysterious woodsiness of the shiitake mushrooms.

To start our dinner, we had the Bread & Butter featuring brioche Parker rolls with truffle honey butter.  Elevating this even further was the addition of fresh shaved black truffles.  These buns were soft and fluffy but still had a bit of density.  The truffle was impactful while not being overwhelming.  We went for 2 more cocktails during this time in the Mango Rasmalai and Mumbai Biryani.  Wow, that mango rasmalai was so delicious.  I could've easily downed this in gulp.  By virtue of it being gin-based, it was a bit light to begin with and with the addition of fresh mango, cardamom and clarified saffron milk, it went down real easy.  Some saffron white chocolate paint on the side provided some sweet aromatics.  As for the Mumbai biryani, this really did drink like a meal.  Furthermore, the spiced tequila made this a stronger drink.  This consisted of lacto-fermented grape, kewra, rosewater, salted ghee-caramel foam and fried onion.  If you can imagine, this made for a spice-laced concoction that had some real savoury elements.

Taking elements of Indian cuisine with the classic Behl Puri, we find the Yellowfin Tuna Behl served with semolina crackers.  This really did have all of the elements of the dish with cilantro mint chutney, puffed rice, onions and tomato.  However with the addition of tuna and avocado, it made the whole thing more hearty and gave it some ceviche vibes.  In fact, the whole thing was possibly too acidic for some (okay for me personally), which totally made for a bright and ceviche-type experience, especially with the light and crispy crackers.

Loaded with fluffy crab on top, the Dungeness Crab Toast was a real hit.  It sat in a lemongrass ginger foam that had not only SE Asian aromatics, the essence of crab shells was prominent.  The well-toasted milk bread had enough integrity to stand up to the sauce, yet at the same time, not be too firm that it would overwhelm the delicate texture of the crab meat.  About that crab, it was naturally sweet and barely cooked through.  The contrast in textures between the crab and toast was perfect.

One of our favourite dishes was the Grilled Lamb Skewers in a medjool date glaze.  The caramelization and char were evident visually and totally confirmed tastewise.  The flavours were super intense with a nutty sweetness.  The lamb belly was super fatty and totally melted in our mouths.  As gamy as lamb can be, especially with so much fat, this was quite mild due to the perfect char and seasoning. The sweetness was balanced off well by the ginger labneh underneath and the pickles on top.  The crunch from the buckwheat added the necessary texture as well.

The hits kept coming with the beautifully-plated Squash Caramelle.  These precious little pasta pockets shaped like candy wrappers featured the ideal texture for freshly-made pasta.  It was firm and chewy while still giving way to the soft and sweet squash filling.  Love the fall flavours including the background nutmeg.  The miso buerre blanc was rich and smooth while not being too heavy.  It had the classic fermented saltiness of miso complimented by the sweetness of the squash.  We also found chanterelles and pumpkin seeds finishing off the dish.

The other pasta on the menu was equally fantastic in the Rabbit and Chestnut Cavatelli.  First and foremost, the pasta was next level (just like the previous dish) where it had a firm resistance upon first chew, but then transitioned to a pleasant denseness inside.  The ridges on the pasta held the white sauce well and we could taste the sweetness of the rabbit.  Normally, the lean meat can be dry, but it wasn't the case here.  So tender and well-incorporated into the sauce.  Little nuggets of chestnut and thin slices of matsutake mushrooms added texture and mushroominess to the dish.  To top it off, aged toma added nuttiness and tang to the pasta.

As if the pastas weren't blowing us away already, but the Honey Mussels Curry was so on point.  First of all, the use of honey mussels was already a bonus as they are some of the most plump mussels available.  Unlike Kiwi mussels, honey mussels are delicate and more flavourful.  This was further enhanced by the tomato-based curry which was spiked by the tanginess of tamarind and sweetness from all the cooked down onions.  The addition of crispy rice balls provided not only texture, it also helped soak up the delicious curry.

Probably the best dish we had all night was the Duck Fried Rice.  The aroma and umaminess emanating from this dish was intoxicating.  We had the duck fat really coming through with a luxurious silkiness while the caramelization of the rice added to the nuttiness already present.  Some chili crunch added texture and spice while the house-made kimchi provided acidity and another layer of spice.  To top it off literally and figuratively, we found fresh mint and cilantro to give the dish some brightness. 

We finally made it to a vegetable dish in the Barbecued Carrots with mandarin kosho, smoked yogurt and bubu arare.  I found this dish to be just alright.  The carrots were a bit too firm but not hard.  There was a natural sweetness to them which was contrasted by the sourness of the kosho.  Underneath, the smoked yogurt was pleasant and not overwhelming.  The addition of rice crackers provided that crunch that was needed in the dish.

Onto more cocktails, we had Chef's Negroni and Duck Fried Rice.  Consisting of dark chocolate gin, spent mulberry campari, Stoney Paradise tomato vine vermouth and applewood + cedar smoke, this was rich and smoky.  Definitely a full-bodied drink with lots of strong flavours.  As for the duck fried rice, it was mirroring the menu dish in some ways.  With duck fat washed gin, we could definitely get the essence of duck, while the kimchi maraschino provided a tangy sweet spice. The rice milk gave a lightly milky nuttiness and the thyme provided some earthiness.   Something a bit more refreshing, the Tokyo featured matcha vodka, banana, shiro shoyu, tonic water and a side of yuzu mochi.  The brightness of the tonic water hit me first then the bitterness of the matcha vodka next.  Mid drink, I got the essence of real banana while the shiro shoyu came at the end in the mildest manner.

Onto the showstopper main dish in the Loong Kong Chicken with a maple espresso glaze and farm side vegetables.  This free-range chicken with everything attached (including the foot) was lean and appealingly chewy.  It was still moist and tender though with properly rendered skin.  The chicken was well-seasoned with the glaze being sweet and savoury with a hint of bitterness.  The buttery sunchoke puree added some moisture and an extra layer of nuttiness to the dish.  The side of veggies were bordering on salty, but was just right adding more flavour to the dish.

So dining with Mijune means we have to get all of the desserts...  Yes we did...  The first was the Banana Ice Cream cradled in a mochi donut with buckwheat granola and toffee sauce.  Loved the creaminess of the ice cream and the aromatics of real banana.  The donut was perfect with a crunchy exterior and a chewy interior.  Next, the Masala Chai Kulfi was presented as a popsicle.  I definitely got the earthy spices combined with the black tea as well as the sweetness.  This was accented by the some crunchy and sweet pistachio brittle as well as the creamy and light brioche Chantilly.  Some spruce oil finished the dish adding a bright woodiness.

Our last 2 desserts consisted of the Japanese Pudding and the Sweet Potato Churro.  Oh that pudding was so perfect.  Super smooth and creamy with a consistent texture.  It was lightly sweet with burnt caramel notes.  A little addition of Vecchio Amaro tableside provided some bitter-sweetness.  Lastly, the churro was crispy and intensely sweet.  It was topped with some sticky quince marmalade and cereal crumb.  The miso vanilla ice cream afforded some rich salty sweetness.

We ended off with one more cocktail in the Build Your Own Chai featuring Elem chai liqueur and tea biscuit milk.  We could adjust the mix to our own preference and that we did with more milk!  This was aromatic and creamy with a touch of booziness.  Nice finish to our dinner.  In fact, we actually ended off the meal with some Dark Chocolates.  Oh and what a meal it was!  The food was so on point and especially impressive since this was only the 5th day of operation!   Such a beautiful room (or rooms) with Chef Vish Mayekar's finely crafted global cuisine complimented by inventive cocktails by Winnie Sun.  I'm planning to come back.  In fact, I've got reservations already!

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Genuinely delicious food

- Stunning room

- Such creative cocktails

The Bad:

- Cocktails and food are competing against each other sometimes