Elem (Tomato Tasting Menu)

Recently, I finally tried Elem's tasting menu or "Let us Cook for You" rather than ordering a la carte.  In reality, it was us two sharing a curated selection of plates instead of being served individual small dishes.  The meal was delicious and gave us a good overview of the menu and what Elem is all about.  So we returned to Elem a month later to experience their Tomato Tasting Menu, at the tail end of Tomato season.  Unlike our previous experience, this was an actual tasting menu.

Things started with the 3 "snacks" in the Stoney Paradise Gazpacho, Tuna Tomato Tartlet and Lamb Belly Skewer.  I sampled the gazpacho first and it was creamy and tangy.  There was considerable brightness and natural sweetness.  There seemed to be a layer of sweetness from onions and red pepper as well.  That tartlet featured bright and buttery soft tuna which contrasted beautifully with the crispy shell.  Even though the tomato was bright and tangy, it was subtle enough that it didn't overwhelm the delicate tuna.  We also found some earthy notes.  I was delighted to see the lamb skewer as that is one of my favourites at Elem.  This was fatty and melted in my mouth.  Sweet and sticky, the medjool date glaze was deeply sweet and further enhanced the flavour of the lamb.  

We moved onto the Aloo Chaat next.  It was herbaceous and tangy with sweet and sour notes from the pomegranate seeds, as well as some earthiness.  The Sungold tomatoes were supremely fresh and at the forefront of this dish.  However, the chaat was definitely potatoey (as the dish name suggests) with a certain creaminess.  There was a light crunch and nuttiness from the puffed rice. 

One of my favourite dishes of the meal was the Dungeness Crab Salad served in a whimsical crab shell plate.  This was more than appearances alone as the bevy of fluffy crab was the star in terms of texture and taste.  Loved the combination of briny, sweet, earthy, slight tang and background earthiness.  Pops of sweet bitterness from the pomelo was refreshing.  There was some crunch in there to give some texture and of course some tomato for brightness.

Our next course was another stunner in the Hokkaido Scallop sitting in a tomato kadhi.  The scallop itself was tender, buttery and rare in the middle.  On the outside, it was aggressively seared so there was smokiness and caramelization.  Loved the kadhi as it was spicy and earthy.  Tomato aachar was sweet and tangy.  It was a really punchy dish with lingering spice and impactful aromatics.

Next course was a beautiful Rotolo with a concentrated passata and kale cream underneath.  It was cooked down with only garlic, salt and pepper, hence it was pure tasting and clean.  It was complimented by the cavalo nero with earthiness.  The pasta itself was quite firm, but had a great mouth-feel.  Inside, it was stuffed with provolone, ricotta and pine nuts.  Really well-executed dish with on point textures and flavours.

Featuring a singular peeled tomato, the Tomato Farci was deceptively flavourful.  This was mainly due to the shell bisque made from a variety of shellfish.  With a bevy of Argentinian prawns this was heavily briny and sweet with a subtle tang.  The bulk of the tanginess was provided by the juicy tomato.  It burst with freshness as well as plenty of brightness.  There was a balance between the savoury bisque and the sweet tomato which was just right.  For a bit of crunch, we found some bubu arare on top.

Our final savoury item was the Shio Koji Tenderloin with lacto fermented tomato.  The slice of PEI Blue Dot tenderloin was prepared rare being buttery and tender.  The truffle demi was silky and only mildly earthy.  Loved that it was not salty.  Definitely sweet as well. Moreover, the corn atop the tender zucchini took the sweetness to another level.  We also had some squash puree that was silky and had an earthy sweetness.  That tomato was so juicy, almost like a grape. It provided the acidity needed to balance all the sweetness in this dish.

If you can see Mickey Mouse atop my palate cleanser, you aren't seeing things.  That is what I saw too with the Tomato Sorbet infused with strawberries.   Yes, I could taste the tomato in this, but they did a great job in making this fruity and tangy rather than sour.  At the same time, the sweetness was restrained. Definitely refreshing after the most heavy bite from the tasting menu.

Appropriately titled One Last Tomato, our dessert was made with tomato (of course).  This was comprised of sungolds that were marinated in red wine and a reduction of water and honey.  In the centre, there was a creamy and rich heirloom tomato ice cream.  It was tomato-forward, yet restrained.  We got a sweet caramel crunch from the praline.  There was also smokiness and nuttiness within the dessert too.  Those marinated tomatoes were explosions of juice and sweetness.

At the end, we were presented with some Mignardise sporting Chocolate Cream Puff, White Chocolate Fudge with Tomato Jam and Cookie with Dark Chocolate Drizzle.  These were nice little bites to finish off a fantastic tasting menu.  In fact, I believe this was the most consistent and well-thought-out meal I've ever had at Elem.  That is saying a lot since I've been there 11 times!  Chef Vish truly celebrated the in-season (at the time) tomatoes in many different and create ways.  The meal progression made sense and the flavours of tomato were unique and varied.  I can't wait for his next tasting menu!

The Good:
- Well thought-out menu
- Spot-on execution
- Flavours were not repetitive (despite the theme)

The Bad:
- Maybe not for those who don't like tomato? But really, they might even like it

Amber Road

What if I told you there is this new stylish European restaurant that features cuisine inspired by the ancient trade route connecting the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean?  Head Chef and owner Jarek Jaroslaw has crafted a menu that touches everywhere from the Mediterranean to Eastern Europe.  Consider this, would you believe it is located in the Holiday Inn & Suites Vancouver Downtown?   Yes, it isn't the first place that comes to mind when guessing its location.  That would probably explain the inclusion of some more recognizable North American dishes and breakfast on the menu.  However, we came here to experience the unique cuisine at Amber Road!

We started off with things I've never had before including the Elk Pyzy Of The Northern Forest which were Polish potato dumplings filled with elk and sauced with light cream, bacon and chanterelles.  These were stealthily delicious as they initially didn't give away how flavourful they would be.  Once past the soft potato casing, we found tender and surprisingly non-gamy elk.  But the strongest part was the aromatic woodsiness of the plentiful chanterelles combined with the cream and salty bacon.

Another surprising item was the Polish Croquettes because they didn't look like how I envisioned what would be classified as a croquette.  Featuring folded golden crêpes filled with mushrooms, spinach and cheese, these reminded me more like a spanakopita (at least the filling that is).  Oh and how delicious was that filling...  It was creamy and cheesy with tender spinach and the umami of mushrooms.  The exterior was crispy and light.  This was served with traditional red borscht on the side.  It was earthy, sweet and tangy.

Something much more recognizable was the Arancini Dell'ambra.  These were quite massive and featured a slightly crispy breading that was seasoned.  Inside, the risotto was somewhere between firm and soft, so it was quite easy to eat and had silky texture.  There was plenty of cheese inside that was melted and quite stringy.  Underneath, the marinara sauce was tangy with a bit of sweetness.

Another classic dish was the Mediterranean Calamari.  This one is the Italian version and really, it has been debated if the fried version is Italian or Greek.  Well, both have grilled, stewed and fried dishes.  Whatever the case, this was good where the calamari was tender with a slight rebound texture.  The light batter was crispy and properly seasoned.  It came with a lemon aioli and a fresh herb tartar sauce.  Both were good, and depended on whether you liked a tangier dip or more herbaeceous one.

I'm pretty sure the Galician Free-Range Chicken Wings were on the menu to satisfy local tastes.  However, with us choosing the Mediterranean herb flavour, it could be considered Hungarian-style.  Of course one could order them as BBQ, garlic or Buffalo-style as well.  These were well-prepared wings with a crispy exterior and rendered skin.  No flabby skin on these ones and they were well-seasoned too.  Inside, the meat was tender and moist.

Our last appetizer or small plate was the Rollatini Di Melanzane which consisted of baked eggplant rolls stuffed with ricotta and mozzarella in a marinara sauce.  This was quite familiar as it had similar elements to an eggplant parmigiana.  I happen to love that dish and this was no exception.  It had a tangy tomato sauce with plenty of ricotta and melted mozzarella on top.  The slices of eggplant were tender, but not mushy.

Onto our main dishes, we had the Amber Road Cheeseburger.  Once again, this was mainly catered for those less adventurous.  However, it was a solid burger with a nicely charred grass-fed beef patty that was lean and meaty.  Some melted Swiss cheese helped add some European content while the portobello mushroom provided another layer of meatiness and earthiness.  That thick-cut bacon was lean with big flavour.  This could be had with a beer for only $20.00 on Tuesdays!

Heading over to Executive Chef Jaroslaw Faryna's native Poland, we had the Galician Pierogis.  These were really good with a thin dumpling wrapper that was tender with appealing elasticity.  Inside, we found a creamy and soft potato and cheese filling which was plenty flavourful on its own.  However, it sat on a bed of creamy and thick sour cream while topped with crispy guanciale.  Classic salty bacon vibes with sour cream.

Sitting in a rich champagne and saffron cream with fresh herbs, the Mediterranean Lobster Ravioli featured a firm house-made pasta that was still cooked through.  I found the filling slightly dense, but still impactful in terms of lobster essence.  I found the sauce to be heavy, so a little went a long way.  I did like the addition of champagne as it provided a bit of brightness.  The little smattering of ikura did add little pops of brininess.

Going with some of the biggest hits, we head to Austria with the Viennese Schnitzel.  This was a pretty thick piece of pork cutlet which was quite meaty and firm.  The breading was not too thick and fairly crispy.  It was topped with a runny sunny side egg and bacon.  That in itself made things a bit breakfast-like, but hey, that is how I like it!  We found tender red cabbage and hasselback potatoes complementing the schnitzel.

One of my favourites from the meal was the Crown Roast of Lamb.  This featured 4 Frenched lamb chops that were grilled to about medium.  They were juicy and super tender.  Maybe it is because I love eating lamb that I didn't consider it too gamy.  Although properly seasoned and sauced, the carrot-ginger puree really added a bright sweetness and bite.  On the side, we found a beautiful potato gratin that was layered with tender slices that had crispy edges.

Arriving with 2 really large and meaty bones, the Braised BBQ Ribs had some Romanian inspiration with a smoky tomato coffee sauce.  This had plenty of depth with the smoked paprika and slight aromatic bitterness of the coffee.  The ribs super tender where the meat had not shrunk considerably.  This way, it retained more moisture and the meat maintained its structure and didn't tighten up.  This was served with some fries and slaw.

One of the more surprising dishes was the Classic Beef Wellington.  Despite the flaky pastry being a touch dense in spots, the entirety of Wellington was well-executed.  Firstly, the beef tenderloin was a perfect medium-rare.  It was soft with its juices intact.  I know this might be bold to say, but I enjoyed this one more than Gordon Ramsey's version at the River Rock (mind you, the one in Vegas was better).  Veggies were also good being cooked just enough.

Onto the sweets, we tried all of them including the Limoncello Tiramisu.  Loved the light and creamy mascarpone that was balanced in terms of sweetness.  Ladyfingers were soft and moist without being soggy.  Of course the bright citrus flavour of the limoncello was welcomed as well as just a touch of booziness.  Some lemon rind on top provide an extra hit of lemon and slight bitterness.

Hands-down, my favourite dessert was the Flambéed Crêpe à La Mode.  The thin and tender crêpe was delicate with an appealing elasticity.  It was buttery and caramelized.  Inside, we found some sweet slices of apple and pear.  On the outside, this was topped with a black currant compote and a scoop of ice cream.  Sure, with all these components, the dessert ate on the sweeter side, but it was still balanced.

One can't get anymore classic than a Crème Brûlée.  This was indeed a textbook version with a silky custard that was aromatic but not all that sweet.  Perfect really since it allowed the on point torched layer of sugar on top to do the heavy-lifting.  That it did with a proper thickness and uniform texture.  It cracked with a firm strike with our spoon.  There was definite caramel vibes and just the slightest of smokiness.

Finally, we had the Panna Cotta that was beautifully presented.  The panna cotta itself was silky and soft without being too firm nor dense.  It was semi-sweet and sat atop a sweet raspberry sauce and berry sorbet.  Loved the textural contrast of the thin cookie accents on the side.  Overall, the food at Amber Road was interesting and diverse.  Sure, there are some universally recognizable hotel menu items, but hey, they need to take care of every customer.  For me, I would go for the unique items and experience the European touches Chef Jaroslaw Faryna incorporates into every dish.  Very large portions here also.  Best to bring some friends and share.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:

- The unique European dishes stand out

- Large portions

- Comfortable and upscale dining space

The Bad:

- To satisfy all customers, there is forced fusion of more recognizable dishes (totally understandable being in a mainstream hotel)

French Creek Pub (Burrard)

Despite my recent obsession with doing some of the top restaurants wherever I've been travelling, I'm always down for casual comfort eats.  Everything has a place and time where they can all be equally delicious.  This takes me to the newly opened French Creek Pub on Burrard across from the soon-to-be-closed St. Paul's Hospital.  If the name sounds familiar to you, the original location is in Parksville on Vancouver Island.  One look at the menu and it is clear they go hard into the classic pub favourites as well as some interesting spins on some dishes too.  We came here to mainly try their viral Party Boat! 

So let's get to that Party Boat shall we???  This monstrosity goes for $119.99 but can feed 4-8 people.  From my experience, this  can easily feed 4 hungry people and comfortably feed 6.  If you aren't big eaters, then it can feed 8.  Underneath at floor of the boat, we had a good helping of Calamari, Popcorn Shrimp, Fries and Onion Rings.  These were all fried just right where the calamari was crispy with nicely seasoned batter.  The squid itself was tender with a bite.  Although I'm usually not a fan of tempura-battered onion rings, these were quite good with a uniform crunch and tender onion in the middle.  The popcorn shrimp were more like fried shrimp as they were large enough to be detectable beyond the crunchy breading.  Fries were crispy with plenty of potato texture within.  The one last item sitting in the middle was a big bowl of Coleslaw.  Sporting big pieces of cabbage and carrots, this was crunchy, fresh and pleasantly tangy, but just a bit watery.

Moving onto the top part of the boat, we had 3 pieces each of Fried Cod and Fried Halibut.  These were legit where the cod was flaky and moist with a crunchy batter that was fully cooked through.  However, the halibut was even better where it was thick-cut and buttery soft.  This indicates that the fish was fresh and cooked perfectly.  We found 3 Shrimp Skewers that were grilled just enough that the shrimp still had a juicy bounciness.  Lastly, we had 3 Lobster & Shrimp Rolls at the aft of the boat.  The mix was appealingly textured with bits of onions to add crunch and brightness.

Of course we needed beverages to go with all that fried goodness right?  We had it all under control with the Mimosa Tower.  Yes, this is enough for as many people that are sharing the Party Boat!  We went for grapefruit and it was plenty refreshing and perfect with our food.  Another bevie came in a cute fish cup in the Limoncello Puffer Fish Drink.  As expected, this was also refreshing very easy going down.  Great summer cocktail!

To get a better feel of the menu other than what was included in the boat, we had to get an order of their Lemon Pepper Wings (because wings are some of the most important things on a bar menu!).  Good thing we tried these because they were great!  These were gigantic with crispy, well-rendered skin (without any breading).  There was more than enough lemon pepper seasoning for a great tang while the meat inside was juicy and tender.

Another prominent item on the menu is their mac n' cheese.  Hence, we went for one of the many choices with the Hot Chick Mac n' Cheese.  This was served in a large bread bowl and it was totally overflowing with saucy cheese.  Therefore, the whole thing was completed coated and plenty satisfiying.  There was a combination of real cheesiness and saltiness.  We found the noodles to be decently firm while the chicken was crispy and mildly spicy.

Finally, a pub is not a pub without a burger.  But this was no ordinary burger though.  It was the Surf n' Turf Burger with house sauce, bacon, shredded lobster roll mix, cheddar cheese and topped with a garlic aioli shrimp skewer.  Beyond all the festivities of the other components, the actual burger patty was lean and bit firm while being evenly seared on both sides.  Bacon was crispy while the lobster roll mix added creaminess and more texture.  Burger was huge and more than enough for one person.  In fact, everything at French Creek Pub is huge and you will definitely get your money's worth.  However, the most important thing is the food itself is well-prepared.  I most certainly will be back to share some food with my friends and/or sport teams.

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

The Good:

- Large portions

- Well-prepared comfort food

- Oh that mimosa tower...

The Bad:

- Yes, there are some gimmicks here, but for me, the food itself is still good

- Parking in the area can be challenging 

Kann

I've been trying to get reservations for Kann in Portland for quite some time.  For those who don't know, 2-time Top Chef finalist Gregory Gourdet is the owner and puts his Haitian roots into the cuisine.  By employing a live-flame, the food exhibits a rich and impactful smokiness normally not present at most restaurants.  We were fortunate to answer the phone when there was a last minute opening for a late dinner.

We began with their Plantain Brioche Buns with epis butter.  With a firmly crispy exterior, the buns were a bit denser than typical brioche.  However this sturdiness afforded a certain chewy fluffiness.  The plantains also imparted some natural sweetness.  Beyond this, the epis butter made this dish.  It was creamy with noted spice, rich herbaceousness and some sweetness.  Since the buns were firmer, it gave me all the reason to use up all of the delicious butter!

Next we had their stunning Summer Fruit Salad.   In addition to the blackberries and strawberries, we found heirloom tomatoes, pickled cantaloupe balls, cucumber, avocado and charred pineapple in a passionfruit vinaigrette.  This was so refreshing and full of natural sweetness.  That passionfruit vinaigrette was tangy and sweet but balanced so it didn't overshadow the components.   The charred pineapple was deliciously sweet and smoky.

Not looking like much, we were concerned at first with the dark exterior.  However, the Akra or taro fritters were really crispy and had a somewhat mochi-like filling which was dense and chewy (in a food way).  The flavours were nutty, sweet and somewhat earthy.  However, the remoulade was the key to the dish with its spicy creaminess. It also added the necessary moisture as the fritters (even though they were great on their own) were in need of a sauce. 

Hands-down, the best thing we had was the Head-on Prawns.  They infused so much smokiness and depth-of-flavour, that this was a flavour bomb.  Combined with the brininess of the prawns and sweetness of the pineapple along with the spicy sweetness of the African pepper sauce, there was a lot going on.  Things didn't end there as we also had pickled peaches and lime zest.  This helped provide acidity and freshness to the dish.

Onto the meat of the meal with the Ribeye that was prepared a beautiful medium-rare.  Loved the rub on the ribeye as well as the char.  Definitely had blackened vibes.  Lots of smokiness and rich flavors where the steak was delicious on its own.  Since it was cooked evenly and rested properly, the juices within the meat ensured that each bite was moist and tender.  Just in case we needed some tang and acidity, there was some blistered tomatoes as well as aromatics from the shallots and confit garlic.

We got some sides to accompany the steak with the Peanut Creamed Greens and Diri Ak Sos Pwa.  The mustard greens were tender but not mushy while being nutty and sweet.  Initially, I thought the peanuts would be too heavy for the greens, but they were perfectly soft and tender. As for the beans and rice, it was interesting to hear about the it being near and dear to Chef Gregory's heart, but it was just okay for me.  I did get some of the garlic and slight heat from the tender beans, but otherwise, it wasn't as mind-blowing as the other dishes (but comparing apples to oranges here though).

One other vegetable we had was the whole head of Cauliflower with jerk spices and sour coconut cream.  The cauliflower itself was cooked perfectly being tender with a crunch.  The jerk spices were low-rolling and kicked in at the end providing plenty of heat.  This was heightened due to the cauliflower being roasted.  On the bottom, we found the coconut cream, which cooled things down and provided tropical aromatics.

Onto dessert, we had 2 including the stunning Baked Haitian which was a nod to a Baked Alaska.  Evenly and beautifully torched on the outside, the meringue was fluffy and smoky.  I'm pretty sure you have seen the theme here as they embrace the live flame cooking!  Inside, we found some firm cake and that delicious charred pineapple.  It was a lot lighter than it appeared and it was quite refreshing with balanced sweetness.

Also refreshing and light, the Shaved Soursop Ice featured a blanc mange base.  It seemed so familiar because it has similarities to Cantonese almond pudding.  Hence it was aromatic from the almond and slightly creamy.  On top we found peaches and strawberries combined with the soursop to create a tangy and sweet compliment to the blanc mange.  Nice finish to an excellent meal.  Love their take on Haitian cuisine and highlighting the traditional cooking over a live flame.  Things were so smoky and full-of-depth.  Highly recommended.

The Good:
- Smoky from the live flame
- Well-seasoned food
- Things were prepared properly

The Bad:
- Loved the story, but the rice and beans were just okay