Baba Chicken Dhaba

With "Home of the Best Butter Chicken" prominently plastered at the entrance of Baba Chicken, it elicits memories of Buddy the Elf congratulating a coffee shop for having the "World's best coffee".  Jokes aside, I really do like a good butter chicken and I was truly intrigued by that proclamation.  Formally Showsaa Modern Taproom, Baba Chicken now focuses on accessible food in a more casual atmosphere.  Jackie and I were invited to see what changes have been made and yes, the butter chicken.

I have to say their revamp of the interior makes the place a lot brighter and less formal.  There is this sports bar vibe that is also reflected in its menu.  Hence, we started with some share plates starting with the Kurkuri Gobi.  These fried cauliflower florets were crispy (thanks to the rice flour) and cooked through.  Yet, they still had some firmness so that there was no mushiness.  Best of all, the spices really came through with a bit of heat.  There was some balancing sweetness too.  

One of my favourite items here is their Paneer Til Tinka.  Essentially, we find paneer sticks coated with batter and 2 types of sesame seeds.  They are deep fried and served with a sweet and spicy dip.  These "fries" were crunchy and nutty on the outside with squishy and tender strips of fresh cheese.  Texturally, they were already on point, but we got some earthiness from the spices and the dip just brought things together with sweet heat.

You maybe wondering why we ordered Fish n Chips at an Indian restaurant...  Well, this wouldn't be the first time and really, I've yet to have a bad version.  In fact, most, if not all of the fish n chips I've had at Indian restaurants are on par or better than dedicated fish n chip restaurants.  This was no exception as the fish was super flaky and moist with a uniformly crispy batter on the outside.  Fries on the side were the typical starch-covered variety, but they were crispy.

We were surprised to be so excited about a typical-looking order of Tandoori Chicken.  Well, because it ate and tasted a lot better than it first appeared.  No fancy sizzling platter here, yet, the chicken was so impactfully smoky and well-seasoned.  More importantly, the chicken was really tender and moist.  That was true even for the breast meat.  They did this by par-cooking the chicken first and letting it rest, then finishing off on the grill before serving.  This kept the chicken from drying out.  Delicious. 

Okay, here we get to the regular-sized Baba Butter Chicken.  This was super rich and creamy that was not tomato-forward.  With that being said, there was a hint of tang at the finish.  Spices were prominent with pronounced earthiness.  Not much in the way of spiciness, yet it wasn't lacking flavour.  The big pieces of tandoori chicken nestled within were smoky and sweet while being juicy.  I have to say if you like your butter chicken this way, it is one of the better ones I've had.

Contrasting the Baba Butter Chicken, the Delhi Wala Butter Chicken was more tomato-forward with initial tanginess giving way to much more spiciness.  The tang was nicely balanced by the sweetness from the onion.  It was more velvety than creamy, being less rich where the spices were also not as prominent due to the stronger tomato notes.  The pieces of charred chicken were smoky, moist and tender.

To us, the Daryanganj Butter Chicken looked to be a hybrid between the Baba Butter Chicken and the Delhi Wala Butter Chicken.  It was definitely more tomatoey than the Baba chicken, but creamier than the Delhi chicken.  It was just as or more spicy than the Delhi chicken as well.  There was a pronounced tanginess that was balanced by the cream, yet the spices really came through.  This would be the most common butter chicken you would find at most Indian restaurants. 

We had a few more curries as well including the Paneer Angaara.  Wow, this one really packed a punch.  This was probably the spiciest curry that we had and it was a good kind of spicy.  Despite having a kick, it did not detract from the other components.  Hence, we could still pick out fall spices and of course, earthiness.  There was a hint of smokiness as well as tomato tang and sweetness.  Loved the texture of the paneer as it was at its squishy best.

Going a bit off the board, we went for something different in terms of flavour and protein in the Methi Prawn.  This was still rich and creamy with earthy and slightly bitter notes, thanks to the fenugreek.  Furthermore, we definitely got aromatics from the base of onions, ginger and garlic.  That offered sweetness, slight sharpness and nuttiness.  As for the prawns, they were both plentiful and texturally on point.  They had a nice rebound and natural sweetness.

As always, we complimented our orders of basmati rice with something more flavourful and could stand on its own - Chicken Biryani.  As you can see, the rice fully took on the marinade from chicken.  Hence, it was spicy, earthy, gingery and garlicky.  Texturally, the rice was moist yet still had a nice chew to it.  The ample pieces of chicken were tender and due to the marinade, the flavours had penetrated the meat.

To further compliment our curries, we went for a selection of breads.  We had the Garlic Naan which was fluffy with a crispy charred bottom and edges.  Nice chew on the inside too.  On top, there was a wealth of butter and garlic, which made it delicious to eat on its own.  We also had the Hari-Mirch Bullet Parantha which was topped with a considerable amount of chilis.  It was definitely spicy, but balanced, so it didn't blow our taste buds away.  Loved the texture of the bread as it was crispy and chewy.  Lastly, we tried the Stuffed Naan in onion and also chicken.  These were also fluffy with elasticity.  Edges and bottom were crispy and charred.  Both came with Baba Buttery Gravy and butter.  Suffice to say, they were delicious.

Instead of ordering a dessert, we went for the Mango Ice Cream Lassi instead.  So really, it was a creamy and refreshing mango lassi with a scoop of mango ice cream.  The lassi itself was creamy, yet light at the same time.  It wasn't overly sweet either.  However, the ice cream took care of that.  Considering all the heavy dishes we had, this was rather refreshing.  Overall, the food at Baba Chicken is solid and yes, the butter chicken (all 3 versions) was delicious.  Definitely a good choice if you were in the mood for the dish.

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

The Good:
- All 3 versions of Butter Chicken
- Place is a lot brighter and casual now
- Other dishes were solid too

The Bad:
- Food can take some time

 

Moltaqa Moroccan Restaurant

A few years ago, I had a delicious meal at Moltaqa Moroccan out in Yaletown.  It was just shortly after they received Michelin-Recommended status in the guidebook.   It wasn't for this I wanted to dine there though, it was because I really wanted to try the place after so many years planning to do so.  In general, there aren't many Moroccan restaurants in town. Recently, I was invited for a return visit and I brought Ipanemagirl with me.   

What better way to get a taste of their appies than to get the Moroccan Sampler Platter.  My favourite item had to be the Lentils as they were tender with a pleasant bite.  They were sweet, earthy and aromatic.  Beets were great too with appealing sweetness and earthiness.  They had a brightness to them and were served at a good temperature.   I thought the White Bean Stew was quite tasty as well.  Tender beans that were savoury and slightly sweet while flavoured with warm spices.

Included with this platter, we found 2 soups.  The one on the left was a Traditional Bessara Soup.  This split pea soup was smooth and almost creamy.  It was not heavy though as the viscosity was just slightly thick.  Definitely got the natural sweetness to go along with some earthiness.  As for the other, it was the Classic Harria Soup made with tomato, lentils and chick peas.  This was tomato-forward without the edge of sourness.  Rather, it had the flavour, but was fairly mild with the richness of butter.  Lots of herbaceous hits, especially from the cilantro.

Even with the sampler, we wanted to some full-sized versions of their dips.  We tried the Chilled Eggplant Dip first and it was fantastic.  At the forefront, we got all of the smokiness due to the char on the eggplant.  That added considerable depth and impact.  In terms of texture, it was delicate and silky.  Hits from the garlic came through too as well as the smoothness of the EVOO.  Just a touch of acidity came in the form of lemon. 

Since we love hummus, we also had the appetizer version of the Moroccan Hummus.  Much like the eggplant dip, this was served with warm semolina bread.  The sturdiness of the bread fit well with the dips as we could get a lot of it onto one bite (and there was plenty on each plate).  About that hummus, it was thick, yet still creamy with earthy hits from the spices.  For me, I would've liked to see even more of the spices, but as a hummus, this was good.

Another classic small dish was the Lamb Merguez Sausages.  Due to the side of harissa on the side, we could customize the heat level to our liking.  I needed quite a bit of it since the sausages were default to a very mild flavour.  Definitely deliberate so that the spice level would be accessible to all.  I thought the texture was meaty, yet moist and tender.  Lots of earthiness and warmth from the spices.  With the addition of the harissa, it really brought the sausages to life.

Although the Beef Briwats weren't particularly interesting to look at, they were delicious and a textural delight.  Outside, the hand-rolled phyllo was uniformly crispy and a bit nutty.  Inside, the tender beef was nicely spiced and benefited from the natural sweetness of the onions.  Since they were mild (again, on purpose) where the harissa on the side was necessary (for me) to elevate the base flavours.

Something I had last time that I really wanted again was the Seafood Pastilla.  Sporting thin and flaky pastry, this had quite the healthy amount of seafood filling.  It was sweet and briny with textures that were appealing.  None of it was hard or overdone where the fish was still flaky and moist.  Loved the prawn on top as it had a natural aroma and essence.  Once again, this was served with harissa, but I didn't need it as I could get the flavours of the seafood better as is.

Once done with the smaller dishes, we moved onto the mains.  Naturally, we had to get the Lamb Shank Tagine.  As the lid of the tagine was lifted, we could get the aroma of lamb, saffron and spices.  The meat fell off the bone and was at its gelatinous succulent best.  For those who are concerned about lamb being gamy, for me at least, it wasn't.  Loved the saffron lemon braising jus as it was aromatic, bright and surprisingly light.

The show-stopper had to be the Rack of Lamb Flambé.  We decided on the half-rack and it was plenty of meat for us.  It was flambéed and carved tableside.  As you can see, the meat was about medium where it was juicy and extremely tender.  There was a spiced Dijon rub on the outside which was earthy and aromatic.  On the side, we found roast potatoes, tomatoes and rice.  Although a bit fatty, the lamb jus was full of umami and more of the spice from the lamb.

The biggest piece of meat we had was the Tagine of Lamb Shoulder.  Size wasn't the only great thing about this dish as the texture was on point too.  Fatty and tender, the meat had the classic velvety fall-off-the-bone quality.  It sat atop couscous that had soaked up all of the delicious juices including the accompanying veggies.  Naturally, the saffron and fall-flavoured spices was evident as well.

Finishing off our meal, we had a selection of Richbond Cookies, Walnut Cookies and Almond Briwat.  Yes, they were on the sweeter side, but really, not too bad.  Lots of textures here and aroma.  The Richbond was coconut forward, as it should be and the Walnut Cookies were nutty and floral.  Briwat were crispy due to the phyllo and had some almond paste inside.  Overall, we enjoyed our meal at Moltaqa where the lamb was prepared properly and the portion sizes were generous.  Loved the aromatics and hey, it is something different in a sea of Asian food (I love Asian food, but need a break sometimes!).

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

The Good:
- Something different
- Proteins were properly prepared
- Love the Moroccan spices

The Bad:
- Things could be spiced more heavily, but we understand that it appeals to the average customer 

 

OiSo (Popup Tasting Menu at Stackhouse Steak Sandwiches)

Sometimes, what you see is not what it seems.  That is true for many things such as Save-On-Foods being rather expensive (irony in the name).  Anyways, from the outside, Stackhouse looks like a sandwich shop (which is it).  However, for those who don't know, owner Eric Lee is a French-trained chef who has worked at Le Crocodile.  That would explain his delicious beef tartare sandwich!  Damso is another establishment that he worked at, so his experience and range are extensive.  So it wouldn't be as surprising at first glance that he as cooked up a Korean fusion tasting menu.  The surprising part is that it is being served at Stackhouse on Abbott after it is closed.  We were invited to give this a go.

Our first course was the Acorn Jelly in a kimchi dashi.  Tender and slippery, the acorn jelly still had a bite left.  Dashi was refreshing and balanced with tanginess, sweetness, spiciness and aromatics from the sesame oil.  Naturally, the kimich gave out fermented vibes with just a slight funk.  There was crunch from the cucumber and radish.  Roasted sesame seeds added another layer of nuttiness.

Next course featured a Taco with pulled pork.  I found the pulled pork to be moist with a natural meaty texture.  There was definite sweetness with noticeable smokiness.  We found some crunch with the pork cracklings on top.  Some tanginess and a bit lighter crunch came in the form of pickled onions.  One of the more interesting ingredients was the sesame leaf which was earthy and herbaceous.

Onto a fairly straight-forward dish, we had the Beef Tartare.  There was quail's egg in the mix and hence, offered up some silkiness.  In general, this tartare was buttery smooth with only mild seasoning.  The natural beef flavour came though, but I would've liked to see more aggressiveness with the tartare components.  We did find Asian pear and garlic shoots that provided clean sweetness as well as sharpness.  Loved the fife bread on the side.

No Korean-themed tasting menu would be complete without Kimchi right?  This came with a question mark though as it was a re-imagined dish with butter-roasted kimchi.  It was crunchy with freshness that was tangy, sweet and spicy.  We found a smooth and silky Hollandaise that acted like a kewpie mayo.  The addition of roasted brussels sprouts made for another layer of crunch.  We found some shaved pork bushi on top that subbed in for bonito flakes.

With a large piece of local uni on top, the Ramyeun sat in a dwenjang cream.  The noodles were supremely al dente with a wonderful chew that had nice elasticity.  Although the sauce was creamy, it wasn't overly heavy where it had the classic fermented soybean finish. There was a certain brightness that was only aided by the clean sweet taste of the fresh uni.  Some crunch was evident from the diced water chestnuts.

Sporting a large bowl of burdock rice with aster and bellflower root, we found the Land & Sea.  We all know what was land, but the sea part of the dish was scallop, clam and squid dressed in a sweet glaze.  In addition to nori sheets, we also found gamtae gim (green lattice seaweed).  Much like the clam bibimbap at a pocha, we used the seaweed to combine the rice and seafood to create a delicious bite.

There was actually excess rice from the previous dish, but it was perfect to go with the Kalbee.  Sporting a large piece of 24-hour braised shortrib with rice cake, carrots and potato.  Meat was fatty and fall-apart tender.  Lots of natural meatiness with sweetness from the root veggies.  Again, combined with the rice, it was a comforting and hearty dish.

Finally, we arrived at our last course, which was the Snowman.  This shaved ice was flavoured with yuzu and complimented by pieces of dalgona.  This was definitely sweet, but had balancing citrus.  Crunchy bits of dalgona provided a caramelized crunch.  Overall, this was a delicious meal with Korean and French influences (a taco too) which reflects Chef Eric Lee's training and experience.  Tentatively, this tasting menu will be priced at $85.00 and it is a fantastic meal at a reasonable price.  Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming pop-up dinners on their Instagram page!

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

The Good:
- Nice blend of Korean flavours with French dishes
- Things were prepared properly
- Well-priced

The Bad:
- Tartare could've been seasoned more aggressively

 

 

Aureliana

Due to the dominance of Asian cuisine in the GVRD, we are not blessed with a wide selection of ol' skool-type diners.  You know, the ones with the jukebox, checkered decor and red vinyl seats...  You'd have to travel a bit out of Vancouver proper to find one except for a select few.  There is a newish one on Hastings in Downtown though and it is more of a modern interpretation of a diner, but hey, I'll take it! Jackie and I were invited to try some of their wares and we didn't need to be asked twice!

Due to our impending indulgence with a variety of diner favourites, we did a preemptive strike and got something green in the Rocket Salad.  Naturally, this featured arugula (where rocket is from the French word roquette), pear and pistachio in a lemon dressing.  The arugula was fresh with it's classic pepperiness while balanced off by the sweet tang of the vinaigrette.  We got some more textures from the pear as well as the pistachio.

We were recommended the Mac & Cheese and it delivered.  First of all, the macaroni was firmly al dente, which meant there was texture.  Secondly, there was plenty of cheesiness, but not in a saucy way.  Rather, it had a thick and gooey consistency which had the sharpness of aged white cheddar and slight stringiness of mozzarella.  There was a bit of processed cheese product for saltiness and creaminess.  Some garlic breadcrumb on top provided texture.

One of my favourite items from this meal was the Reuben with pastrami, sauerkraut, signature mustard and Swiss on rye.  For $15.00, we thought this was a good value since they weren't shy about piling on slices of tender and buttery pastrami.  There was also uniformly melted Swiss with just a bit of sauerkraut.  Hence, the sandwich ate full-flavoured without being overly sour.  Even the mustard spread was just enough on the toasted rye.

We also had their 2nd most popular sandwich - Tuna Melt.  This featured light tuna, olive oil, lemon, parsley and American cheese.  As you can see in the picture above, the bread was evenly seared on the flattop being crunchy and deliciously buttery (maybe a bit too buttery?).  Inside, the tuna was super moist with a balanced amount of mayo.  It had enough seasoning for impact and the lemon provided some tangy brightness to counteract the butter.  However, I would've loved even more lemon.

Overflowing with sauteed mushrooms, the Mushroom Burger was tasty.  I found the burger patty had a great maillard with a nice sear and crispy edges.  Inside, the patty was still just a touch pink and plenty moist too.  It was completely covered in melted Swiss and a bunch of onions on top.  This help add a bunch of textures that complimented the soft brioche bun.  Naturally, the thing that stood out was the ample amount of buttery and well-seasoned mushrooms.  Tying it altogether, we had some signature mayo. 

We tried one more burger in the Luna with beef patty, grilled hot dog, bacon, American cheese, lettuce, jalapeno, onion and signature mayo.  This was one hearty creation with the same moist patty as the previous burger.  The combination of bacon, hot dog and melted American cheese made things a bit salty, but the onions, jalapeno and lettuce did help balance things out.  Fortunately, we had a few drinks to wash this all down...

Those drinks happened to be the Vanilla Milkshake and the Root Beer Float.  Thick, creamy and sweet, the milkshake was classic in both texture and taste.  It was well-blended and we could drink it through the straw no problem.  Some amaretti crumble added crunch.  As for the float, it brought back memories of yesteryear.  Of course it was sweet as well, but the combination of woodsy and earthy root beer with sweet vanilla ice cream just went down really well.  Perfect to go with the saltiness of the Luna.

Even though we arrived in the late afternoon, we were still able to try a few breakfast items including the Golden Breakfast featuring pancakes, bacon, fried egg and maple syrup.  These thick and well-seared pancakes were fluffy with a bit of firmness.  Loved the buttery crust that was flavourful and provided texture.  Of course the maple syrup was the perfect compliment, but the crispy bacon did its thing too offsetting the sweetness.  Fried egg still had a runny yolk and that added to fun. 

One last breakfast item we tried was the French Toast with vanilla and lemon custard as well as mascarpone cream.  The well-soaked brioche was custardy and ate like bread pudding.  It was aromatic and sweet with just a bit of tang.  It was also seared enough so that the colour was appealing and caramelization had occurred. Lots of butter really helped this become pretty decadent.  Loved this dish, I would gladly have it many times over.  

We ended things off with a slice of Apple Pie à la Mode.  This was great as the crust was buttery and lightly crispy.  It was coated with cinnamon sugar but was balanced off by the salt in the crust.  It also created another layer of crispiness.  Inside, the slices of apple were tender with just a hint of bite.  Glaze was sweet, but not overly so.  Nice consistency on it.  Scoop of vanilla ice cream was good quality being creamy and rich.  Lovely ending to a solid diner meal.  In fact, I am already planning my return visit as I know my kids would want to try it.  Really good diner that does food right.

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

The Good:
- Solid diner eats
- Nice retro design, but spacious
- Decent portions

The Bad:
- Definitely not diet food as this is a diner, things can be on the greasier and saltier side, but hey, it's a diner!

Puchkaman Street Food Cafe

I'm sure you are aware that there is no shortage of Indian eats along Scott Road along the Surrey/North Delta border.  However, most are Northern Indian restaurants.  In addition, we have the massive buffet in Tandoori Flame, some chaat houses, sweets shops and also Happy Singh's which dishes up street eats.  We now have more street eats at Puchkamen that, like its namesake, features Puchka (from Eastern India).  We dropped by to try some of their dishes.

Of course we had to start with the Puchkas with a variety consisting of Kolkata Special Aloo, Ghugni, Dahi and Paneer Szechuan.  My favourite of the bunch was the dahi as it was tangy and zesty.  I also enjoyed the Szechuan as it was spicy and since it was filled with paneer, the shell remained crunchy.  The Special Aloo had tender nuggets of spiced potatoes while the shell was also quite crispy.  To compliment, we tried all of their waters including Pudina, Khatta, Jeera and Meetha Panis.  

The next 2 dishes comprised of the Corn Chaat and the Mumbai Pav Bahji.  Refreshing with pops of sweetness and some bite from the onions, the corn was a nice compliment to the Pav.  Really enjoyed the Pav Bahji as the mashed veggies were almost creamy with nice heat and background earthiness.  The melting butter on top added more nutty richness.  Loved the soft buttered and toasted buns.

We got a selection of Momos including Tandoori, Pan Fried, Kurkure and Classic Steamed.  We also got the dipping sauces including Momo Chutney, Coriander Mint and Tandoori Mayo.  Even though I thought the Kurkure would be heavy, it really wasn't.  The crispy coating was great while the momo inside had a chewy, yet moist texture.  The Tandoori were nicely spice and had an appealing chewiness.  For each of these, the filling was vegetarian where it was nicely spiced and delicate without being mushy.

As for the Sandwich selection, we went for the Corn Cheese, Paneer Szechuan, Chicken Blast and Mushroom Blast.  Really loved how they used the sandwich press to achieve some smoky crispiness.  My favourite of the bunch was the Corn Cheese since it was super cheesy and sweet.  All of the other sammies had heat due to the spicy mayo drizzle.  The Szechuan was even more so in the heat department.  Loved that kick.

Trying some items from the other sections of the menu, we had the Aloo Tikki Chaat.  On the bottom, we found a bed of tender potatoes that had some crispiness while bathed in a tangy tamarind chutney.  On top, there was a combination of yogurt, mint coriander chutney, pomegranate seeds and crispy sev.  This was a textural delight with appetizing sweet and sour notes.
 

Something that was new to me was the Pan-Fried Maggi.  Yes, these are the instant noodles under the Maggi brand name!  I found the noodles a touch on the softer side, but since they were pan-fried, some parts had dried out and were still chewy (in a good way).  The combination of spices added earthy, tangy and slightly spicy notes.  With some cilantro, we had some herbaceousness.

 

 

If you are wondering why the Butter Chicken Fries was so light in colour, it is because the dish isn't native to Eastern Indian.  However, their version is thicker and generally has cashew paste added.  Hence this one resembled a Korma more than the Delhi-style's tangier tomato-forward dish.  Despite being coated with the sauce, the fries were crispy and the right type for this dish.  There was no starch coating which meant the fries were more naturally-textured.

 

They have one rice bowl available in the Tandoori Mint Bowl.  This featured chewy seasoned basmati rice topped with chicken and tandoori sauce.  This was quite a saucy affair with tang, sweetness and earthiness.  With the addition of mint, there was the usual brightness and herbaceousness.  Pretty solid bowl if you like it saucy.

 

The last item was the Chicken Kathi Roll that featured a really flaky paratha.  It was a considerably buttery and the chewy texture of the flatbread was fantastic.  Inside, there was plenty of tender chicken bathed in yogurt and spice.  A bit of heat and noted earthiness.  Overall, the street food at Puchkamen is quite good with the Puchkas and Sandwiches being the highlights for me.  Lots of options for takeout and dine in.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

 

The Good:

- Lots of options

- Good spice level

- Loved the paratha

 

The Bad:

- The limited staff there work hard and are friendly, but also means you need to be patient