Sunflower Lodge

Last summer, I met with some friends at the Blackberry Kitchen in Mission.  This beautiful wood lodge situated at a top of a hill (with a view) offered up homey vibes with lunch and dinner service.  Well, fast forward to the present and now it is The Sunflower Lodge, which is affiliated with the Sunflower Cafe in Maple Ridge.  Hence, it dishes up the same fresh produce from the farm and focuses on BC ingredients.  We decided to go for the a la carte menu, however, they do have a tasting menu available too.

We were started off with a Amuse Bouche of White and Red Gooseberries in a sorrel purée.  This certainly perked up our appetites with bursts of sour tanginess with just a touch of sweetness.   If the pops of flavour from the gooseberries wasn't enough, the tartness and "greenness" of the sorrel compounded the appetizing effect.  There was also some bread with the same delicious cultivated butter from the cafe.  It was so creamy with strong "butter" flavours.  The addition of flaked salt really elevated the impact.

Our first dish was the Charred Asparagus with smoked mushrooms and Hollandaise.  Each sprig was tender while completely smoky from the char.  It was well-salted where it amplified the sweet flavour of the asparagus.  We found the fried mushrooms to be extra crispy, offering up a textural contrast while also giving off an appealing smokiness.  Creamy and mildly seasoned, the Hollandaise nicely complimented the veggies.

Bringing it down a few notches, the Turnips & Snap Peas was a somewhat subtle dish which acted like a palate cleanser of sorts.  Featuring fresh cubes of bright and earthy turnip and sweet pops from the snap peas, this was simple, yet so delicious.  On top, we found a goat cheese mousse which was also rather understated.  Normally, anything goat cheese can be rather strong and gamy.  However, this wasn't the case, especially combined with the tartness of the flowering currant vinegar.

One of the most unassuming dishes was the Smoked Sablefish Salad.  It consisted of flakes of smoked sablefish with pickled seaweed, celery, fennel with a rice vinegar, apple & celery dressing.  With each bite, we got the butteriness of the flaky sablefish and a pretty strong smokiness.  However, this was balanced off by the tang and sweetness of the dressing.  Crunch from the supremely fresh celery and fennel added texture and the small drops of dill oil afforded herbaceousness.  There was some background spice to it too.

When the Roasted Carrot Salad arrived, we noticed the plating with plenty of negative space.  Yet, the plate in general was nothing but positive.  It featured little underdeveloped carrots that would normally be discarded.  These cute little things were sweet and quite earthy with a touch of spice.  To compliment there was some dukkah for added earthiness and nuttiness.  Going for no wastage, we found a carrot top pesto which was herbaceous and also earthy.  We got another hit of creamy nuttiness from the cashew cream.

Moving onto the larger plates, we thoroughly enjoyed the Housemade Pasta.  These large agnolottis were stuffed with creamy boursin cheese.  That in itself was pretty tasty while encapsulated in an al dente pasta.  However, these were sauced with a sweet onion soubise which was creamy, sweet and buttery.  With the addition of porcini mushrooms and heidi cheese, we got some big hits of earthy nuttiness.  Really good pasta dish.

Arriving as a pretty big portion, the Poached Halibut was perfectly cooked, not to mention, super fresh.  It was flaky, barely cooked through and moist.  This was also an indication that the fish was never frozen.  It was fairly mild in terms of seasoning, but no matter as the creamy sauce Veronique provided a floral and herbaceous flavour to the dish.  Underneath, there was a spring vegetable succotash that exhibited a precise brunoise.  It was cooked beautifully where the fresh texture remained.  Some acidity was provided by the gooseberries and to top it off, there was some sea asparagus. 

Just like at Sunflower Cafe, we also had the Fraser Valley Roasted Duck Breast.  If I had to compare, this was prepared even better than the Cafe, but both were good.  The duck was super tender and juicy while the fat was fairly rendered with a crisp skin.  That Haksap berry jus was balanced with equal parts sweet and tangy.  It was definitely there but allowed the duck flavour to come through.  On the side, there was a turnip salad that was, of course, super fresh, bright and turnipy.

Saving the heaviest dish for last, we had the 16oz Ribeye with gnocchi fries, braised leeks and allium salad.  As you can see, the steak was prepared medium-rare and well rested.  It was also evenly charred with a caramelized smokiness.  To further enhance the steak, there was also a demi-glace on top.  Super crunchy and a nice concept, the gnocchi fries were pretty tasty, if not on the saltier side.  But this was alleviated by the onion and chive salad as well as the seared leeks.

Before we got to dessert, we had a pre-dessert in the Strawberry with elderflower and magnolia topped with mint.  Suffice to say, this was pretty complex with floral, fall flavours and fruity notes.  Nice palate-cleanser before we got to the Ricotta Donuts with housemade lemon curd and blueberry jam.  These were so airy and fluffy, it didn't feel like we were consuming any calories.  Wishful thinking I know!  The combination of tangy lemon curd and sweet jam meant there was a good mix of flavours.

We had one more dessert in the Goat's Milk Tres Leche with fresh strawberries and chantilly.  Once again, the gaminess of goat's milk was very subtle.  The sweetness of the caramelized condensed milk was the most impactful component other than the sweet and tangy strawberries.  This was a well-composed and balanced creation.  Very delicious.  In fact, the food at Sunflower Lodge is excellent and an improvement over Blackberry Kitchen.  Dishes are more refined and elevated.  What a real find in Mission!

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

The Good:
- Surprisingly level of refinement out in Mission
- Beautiful location
- Reasonable pricing given the quality and quantity of food

The Bad:
- For those not close by, it is quite the trek

B House (Lunch Specials)

The last time I visited B House, it was for dinner and we had some pretty delicious dishes.  They are an Asian fusion restaurant that successfully blends different cuisines together.  As you might imagine, fusion doesn't always work, but when it does, it is addictive.  This should be no surprise though as head chef, Hung Nguyen, has ample experience in the culinary field as he is a graduate of the International Culinary School at the Arts Institute of Vancouver.  Also, he has worked extensively within the industry including being head chef at Rogue Kitchen & Bar.  To makes things even more enticing, B House is offering a $15.00 quick pick lunch menu from Monday to Thursdays until 3:00pm.  You know how expensive eating out (and even just buying groceries) is these days, so whenever there is a deal, it is a great thing (especially when it tastes good too!).

Jackie and I were invited to try some of the items out on said menu starting with the Yellowfin Poke Bowl.  Although I would've preferred sushi rice, this was still fulfilling.  I understand why they didn't as there is no other dishes that require sushi rice on the menu.  On top, we found spicy tuna sashimi, pickled ginger, seaweed salad, nori strips, tobiko, pineapple, cucumber-tomato-kale salad, sesame seed, crispy garlic and truffle aioli.  With all of these components, we had a bit of everything including buttery fish, crunchy bits, brightness, aromatics and sweet tanginess.

One of my favourite dishes was the Papaya Salad with Lemongrass Chicken.  So this was essentially their version of a green papaya salad with kale, carrot, candied almonds, basil-cilantro-mint mix and pickled ginger vinaigrette.  Suffice to say, there was plenty of crunch from the green papaya and carrots as well as the sweet hard crunch from the almonds.  Add in the tangy bite from the vinaigrette and the bright herbaceous hit from the herbs, we had lots going.  To literally top it off, we had a well-charred brined chicken thigh that was succulent and full-flavoured.

Almost a hybrid of the first 2 dishes, the Pork Belly Bowl consisted of a jasmine rice base with beer-braised pork belly, daikon slaw, cucumber, tomato, pineapple, green onion, soy marinated egg, sesame seeds, crispy garlic and house aioli.  The best part of the dish was the buttery soft pork belly that wasn't too fatty.  It was flavourful with enough saltiness to carry the dish.  The other ingredients helped balance everything out with freshness, sweetness and tanginess.  Didn't hurt to have a custardy egg on top too.

Moving on to something brothy, we had the Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Soup.  So this was a version of Pho Ga, but with the same juicy and flavourful lemongrass chicken as the salad.  This in itself made this bowl already.  However, the broth could stand on its own too with savouriness, sweetness and umami.  With the usual addition of onion, cilantro and bean sprouts, we had the usual Pho accompaniment flavours.  There was also some chili flakes to add a bit of extra bite.

So with the reuse of the lemongrass chicken and pork belly in the Banh Mi and the Little Saigon Club, we knew there was the potential of tastiness.  Both were sandwiched within a crunchy baguette with chicken pate, lettuce and cucumber (tomato, daikon slaw & chili lime aioli for the chicken).  Since the proteins were tender and flavourful, the sandwiches were good right away.  Add in the pate, and we had some umaminess and creaminess.  The side of fries were fantastic, being hot and crunchy with soft potato texture inside.

We ordered some drinks to go with our meal including the Lychee Mojito, Just Like Shirley Tempo, Organic Vietnamese Iced Coffee and the Sweet & Spicy Pineapple.  These were all refreshing and since they were mocktails (can be had as real cocktails too), they were lightly sweet.  We couldn't help but order a dessert from the regular menu in the French Toast.  This was a great way to finish our meal.  Each slice of toast was soaked with enough egg and milk to create a custardy bread pudding texture.  They generously spread berry compote in between while providing a hazelnut chocolate sauce for us to pour over the whole thing.  Literally couldn't stop eating this.  In fact, all of the dishes were appealing and totally worth it for $15.00.  B House is such a little gem that is a great alternative to the Chain restaurants.

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

The Good:
- Great value at $15.00
- Big enough portion size too
- Delicious

The Bad:
- Wished they had sushi rice for the yellowfin tuna, but understand that they would have no use of sushi rice in any other dish

El Comal Downtown

The El Comal that I'm familiar with is the lunch spot tucked way in an industrial park along Winston Street in Burnaby.  I've been there before quite a long time ago.  Now we find their brand-spanking new location in Downtown on Hornby Street.  It has taken over the space Toloache used to occupy.  Fortunately, they are continuing the Sunday Mexican brunch with some of the same dishes we've seen before plus a few new ones.

Their brunch buffet starts around 10:30am on Sundays, but the restaurant opens at 10:00am.  The setup includes many different items including a drink station that features Hibiscus, Lemonade and Horchata.   My favourite of the bunch was the Hibiscus as it was not too sweet and had a mild tanginess.  It was went well with the food as it acted like a palate cleanser.  Same could be said about the Lemonade as it was light on the sugar and was refreshing.  I found the Horchata to be on the sweeter side with the usual aromatics.

Onto the food, there was the usual Rice and Refried Beans.  Nothing unusual here but the rice had a pleasing texture where it was fluffy but still had a bite.  It was nicely seasoned too.  As for the beans, they were pretty smooth and almost creamy.  The viscosity was perfect, where it spread on the plate, but was not watery.   Next chaffing tray over, we found the Rajas and Mexican-style Wild Mushrooms.  The Rajas consisted of poblano peppers and corn in a creamy sauce.  I actually enjoyed this with the rice.  The mushrooms were also good with its usual woodsiness. 

Right next to it, we found the Chilaquiles in both Rojo and Verdes.  Personally, I'm a bit indifferent with Chilaquiles as I prefer my tortilla chips super crispy and dipped into queso with chorizo.  But even with that bias, these were decent with some crunch left with the chips on top and at the sides.  I thought both sauces were good with the red having more depth and a touch of spice.  The green was much brighter and milder tasting.   We found some Mexican Eggs and Tamales next to this and both were good.  The eggs were cooked with some tomatoes and onions while remaining fairly fluffy.  This was actually the last dish to be placed in the chaffing tray (which helped it from being totally overdone).  As for the tamale, it was decently moist while filled with chicken.

One of the better chaffing trays was the one that held the Chicken Enmolades and Ribs.   These enchiladas were filled with tender chicken and topped with a sweet mole that had elements of bitterness, fall spices and nuttiness.  As for the ribs, they were tender but still retained a meaty firmness.  Hence the meat didn't fall-off-the-bone, yet was not stuck to the bone either.  There was a savouriness to them while the seasoning was sufficient with earthy notes.

The last set of chaffing trays contained all the meats including Pork Chicharron in Red Sauce, Beef Birria, Cochinita and Chorizo.  I've complained in the past about dry meats when it comes to Mexican food, but these were moist and well-seasoned.  Perfect for complimenting all the previous items or using them with the supplied tostadas and/or warm tortillas.  I thought the Beef Birria was super tender while mildly spiced.  Wished there was some birria broth for us to dip the tacos into though.  The chorizo was the moist flavourful with spice and meatiness.  Went well on the tostada with some queso.

Right next to the meats, we found all of the Condiments including salsa, limes, sliced radish, greens, queso fresco, sour cream, queso, tomatillo, macha, cream, onions and cilantro.  We also had some fresh tortilla chips and tostadas.  Right in the middle, there was a delicious Shrimp Ceviche as well.  Soft tortillas could be found on the opposite side in a warming cabinet.  There was a Chicken Sopa right next to it as well.

Onto desserts, there was a selection of fresh fruit, Dulce de Leche Cake, Flan, Concha, Rice Pudding, Granola and Yogurt.  This was a modest, yet varied amount of items that ranged from fruit, to mildly sweet to quite sweet.  So therefore, it suited all tastes and besides, a coffee went well with the sweets.  Overall, the Sunday Brunch at El Comal in Downtown has a good variety of food that fits many different tastes and dietary preferences.  For $34.99 per person, it isn't expensive yet neither it is cheap either.  I would say it is exactly the right price considering its Downtown location and selection of dishes.

 

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

 

The Good:

- Enough variety for most people

- Meats were tender, moist and flavourful

- Things were fresh

 

The Bad:

- A little cramped on the buffet line, but it moves

- Parking is very expensive in the neighbourhood (Pro Tip: Use the parkade in Cathedral Square)

The Aroma Bistro

For some reason or another, I love driving out to Abbotsford for food.  Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating because I do not enjoy the traffic on the Trans-Canada during rush hour.   Let's just say I don't mind the drive since there is good eats to be found out in the Fraser Valley.  I guess it was an easy drive this time around as we were heading to The Aroma Bistro for their Sunday brunch (as well as trying some other a la carte dishes).   If you can believe it, the brunch buffet costs only $19.99!

What you get for the price is a phenomenal value complete with an Omelet and Crepe station.  Although the crepes were already preprepared, they were still good.  A bit on the crispier side, the crepes were filled with choice of fruit, whipped cream and sauces.  There was also waffles and pancakes available at the adjacent station.  As for the omelets, choices of ingredients included tomatoes, cheese, onions, peppers and mushrooms.  With salt and pepper at the station, the omelets were properly seasoned.

Now The Aroma Bistro might be an Indian restaurant, but they also serve a variety of Western dishes.  Hence, their brunch buffet has all of the local favourites including Scrambled Eggs, Hashbrowns, Sausages, Bacon and Eggs Benedict.  Everything was typical but the Eggs Benny was the real star.  These were classically prepared with toasted English muffins, back bacon, free-hand poached eggs and a legit Hollandaise.  The free-range eggs featured fully-cooked egg whites with a runny yolk.

Now of course they would have one Indian dish in the Butter Chicken and some fried rice to go with it.  The butter chicken had a nice balance between tangy and creamy with some earthy notes.  The best dish of the bunch had to be the Marry Me Chicken.  It featured tender slices of chicken breast in a rich and creamy sauce with a bit of woodsiness.  Finally, we found Penne Pasta in a marinara sauce.  This was pretty standard and great for those who didn't want anything too creamy.

For the kiddies and for adults too, we had Chicken Strips & Fries.  Pretty standard stuff that did the job.  Near the desserts, we found grapefruit juice and orange mango as well as iced tea.  There was a variety of desserts that included some cakes, chocolate-covered strawberries and a version of cornettos.  Nothing outstanding, but they were fine.  I didn't mind the chocolate cake as it was moist and surprisingly not overly sweet.  Actually, the crepes were the best dessert offered at the brunch.

Other than the brunch, we got to try a selection of dishes from their regular menu.  It was a mix of Western and Indian cuisine where we started with the Beet & Burrata Salad.  Unlike some other Indian restaurants, this burrata salad was not fusion.  Rather, it was a competent and composed dish consisting of mixed greens, beets, orange segments, burrata, balsamic glaze and honey shallot vinaigrette.  Flavours were complimentary and the burrata was fresh.

Continuing on with the Western dishes, we had something that has been popularized by Bubba Gump in the Coconut Shrimp.  These were quite good where the shrimp itself was juicy with a sweet snap texture.  The coconut coating was just right, not being too thick.  It was crunchy and none too greasy.  As much as the sweet chili dip went well with the shrimp, something more creative would've been better.  Maybe a bit of fusion here would've work (like a spicy tamarind chutney).

Something that is a staple of many chain restaurants is deep fried chicken wings.  Mind you, it is a staple for many different cuisines, but this was Buffalo Wings, so once again, it was a purely Western dish.  These wings were enormous with juicy brined meat.  Due to it being brined, there was inherent flavour to the meat.  On the outside, the skin was mostly rendered.  Although it was covered with vinegary hot sauce, the light batter was crispy.

From the wings, we moved onto some Indian dishes in the Tandoori Chicken and Tandoori Prawns.   These came sizzling and full of aromatics.  The 6 pieces of chicken were nicely charred without being burnt.  Consisting of dark meat, the chicken was tender and juicy while well-marinated.  The prawns were a bit less charred, but that was okay as it maintained its moisture and were cooked perfectly.  Good snap to every bite and well-spiced too.

Our last dish was also Indian in the Prawn Korma with a side of Garlic Naan.  Unlike some versions of korma, this was had more colour and had more depth of flavour.  Beyond the usual nuttiness, we had earthiness and sweet savouriness.  This was pretty mild being aromatic rather than spicy.  Once again, the prawns had a moist snap texture.  Overall, the food at The Aroma Bistro is solid and that Sunday Brunch is a friggin' steal at $20.00pp.  Love the concept where they offer a legit Western menu to go along with their Indian menu.  Ultimately, it will appeal to a wider range of tastes, all in one well-appointed restaurant.

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

The Good:

- Solid eats for both menus

- That inexpensive Sunday Brunch

- Well-appointed decor

The Bad:

- Unless you are in the area, it is quite the drive

Ask For Luigi

There are just some restaurants I haven't revisited for quite some time and one of them is the popular Ask for Luigi.  Yes, it has been 10 years since I've dined on their Michelin-recommended food.  Not sure why it has taken me so long to return, but Jess made a reservation for us to grab some lunch.  I'm glad she did so because I probably would've been running off to try the latest and greatest, but forgetting places that have been around and continue to be awesome.

As if I needed anymore Burrata especially since I had it the night before at Bar Corso.  Hey Jess wanted it and honestly, I wasn't complaining.  Absolutely love burrata!  This one here came with tomatoes, strawberry vinaigrette & pistachio.  I thought the heirloom tomatoes were fresh and sweet.  Nice firmness on them while still being ripe.  This came with a whole burrata that we cut open to reveal the creamy insides.  I thought the vinaigrette was balanced and provided both sweetness and acidity.  The one thing I would've liked was a few flakes of fleur de sel to elevate the flavours.

We ended up with the Mussels with nduja sausage, fennel & pomodoro because they were out of the cauliflower.  No problem as these mussels were so on point.  They were plump and buttery with everyone of them opened.  It sat it a tangy pomodoro amped by the addition of nduja.  This added depth and a meatiness that wasn't overbearing.  There was some spice but generally it was mild with the aromatics of the fennel coming through.  That grilled bread on the side was both necessary and utterly awesome.

On another visit with Roanna, we went for the other appies I didn't have last time including the elusive Fried Cauliflower.  Last time, we didn't get to try it because they were sold out.  I remember from the first time I visited Ask for Luigi that they were very good.  Turns out my memory was right as the cauliflower was cooked-through but still firm.  It was drizzled with aioli and topped with a considerable amount of parm.  Sneakily, the star of the dish was the fried chickpeas as they provided complimentary texture.

We weren't really into ordering a salad this time around, so we went big with Luigi's Meatballs sitting in a fresh tomato sauce.  These benefited immensely from the sultanas and pine nuts as it broke up the meat texture with plump sweetness and a sweet nuttiness.  As for the meat, it was a bit firmer than I remembered, but I haven't had these in awhile so am not sure.  Now that didn't impact the eating enjoyment we had as the meat was moist and lacking in filler.  That tomato sauce was perfect being only lightly tangy with natural sweetness.  Very bright flavours.

We had the pasta of the day being the Duck Ragu in a light pomodoro.  This was absolute money with mildly tangy tomato sauce that was complimented by the richness of the duck ragu.  There was plenty of tender morsels of meat that had the gaminess of duck that was also well-seasoned by the stewing with the herbs and tomato paste.  Again, the tanginess of the pomodoro provided a certain brightness to break up the heaviness of the ragu.  The gamelli pasta was perfectly al dente and held onto the ragu beautifully.

The other pasta we had was the Bigoli Nero with frutti di mare and uni butter.  Oh this was so rich and buttery.  It exhibited further luxury with the creaminess of the sweet uni mixed into that butter.  There was definite brininess to the dish but also the seasoning was on point where everything was properly salted including the pasta.  Seafood was perfect too with delicate prawns that had a snap and buttery mussels.  The pasta itself was firmly al dente.

Much like the visit with Jess, Roanna and I went for the pasta of the day which was Vongole Tagliolini in a white wine butter sauce with chili flakes and anchovy breadcrumbs.  This featured all the best things about fresh pasta.  Texturally, it was al dente with a certain dry firmness, unlike dry pasta, which can be gummy or too wet.  As a result, the dish ate a bit dry and possibly could've used just a touch more butter.  The clams were plump and buttery while offering up their usual briny sweetness.  Loved the anchovy breadcrumbs on top as it provided both crunch and saltiness.

Trying to hit the rest of the pastas, we had the Rigatoni alla Bolognese.  This was very good with firm noodles bathed in a creamy bolognese that was not short on tender nuggets of meat.  The rigatoni was the perfect vessel here since it held onto the sauce and kept things moist and flavourful.  It was ever-so-mild with a rich meatiness.  About that meat, it was slow-cooked to the point it was buttery and airy.

Our last pasta was the most surprising as it did not contain any meat.  The Radiatore Verde & Mushroom Trifolati was my favourite on this second visit with Roanna.  Even more effective than the rigatoni, the radiatore held onto the olive oil and garlic beautifully where there was bursts of aromatics.  The plethora of mushrooms added woodsiness as well as moisture and the usual squishiness.

For dessert, I went for my favourite in the Olive Oil Cake with candied orange and whipped ricotta.  This cake is the must order here.  It was soaked in syrup being moist and aromatic.  The whipped ricotta was super light and creamy.  The citrus really came through in a subtle floral manner.  As you can see, the food at Ask for Luigi is as solid as it has ever been.  It certainly continues to be a destination for great pasta.  I will not take another 10 years to be back!

The Good:
- On point pastas
- Prominent flavours
- That banana bread (only available during brunch)

The Bad:
- Super tight in there with limited table space
- Not the best area at night