Elem

Here is another double-post on Elem, where it was my 4th and 5th visits respectively.  I bet you can tell I really enjoy the place and am willing to spend my hard-earned money on their delicious and carefully-crafted eats.  I truly believe the team of Vish, Winnie, Hasib and all the great people in the kitchen and front-of-the-house are doing all the right things to put Elem in the running for both a Michelin-Star and to be included in Canada's Top 100 restaurants.  So without further ado, I will talk about all the plates I had in both meals!

Of course I start off every meal at Elem with their wonderful Bread & Butter featuring their rye Parker rolls.  For the first meal, the butter was citrus fennel pollen.  The second was a koji butter with chives.  As usual, the warm rolls were slightly crispy on the outside while soft and fluffy on the inside.  They were lightly sweet while the butter added an aromatic creaminess.  If I had to choose, the koji butter really did it for me since it was lightly tangy and plenty bright from the chives.

Winnie and I had a convo last time I was here where we expressed our common love for corn.  Hence, she surprised me with a Elote cocktail.  It consisted of grilled corn tequila reposado, corn-honey-cilantro-cumin syrup, chipotle chili, lactose-free cream, fresh lime and shaved cojita cheese.  This was rather creamy and sweet with a hint of spice and earthiness.  The cheese on top really added depth and an extra layer of savouriness.  I want this again!  Staying with the classics, we also had the Jakarta, which is the most fruity and lightest of all the cocktails on the menu.

Onto what I consider their signature dish - the Dungeness Crab Toast.  This house made milk bread was toasted and then set in a lemongrass ginger crab foam.  As you can see, they also are not shy about laying on the fluffy dungeness crab on top of the toast.  Every component in this dish served a purpose and they worked harmoniously together.  Aromatic and full of sweet brininess, the foam helped bring out even more of the natural crab flavour.  The toast had a nice sturdiness to it, so it did not get soggy from the foam.  The crispiness was a nice textural contrast.

It all started with the duck fried rice, then transitioned to the Shrimp Fried Rice and finally to the BBQ Chicken Fried Rice.  They all shared similar traits such as the chewy and nutty rice that was the beneficiary of high heat and aromatic oils.  They all came with the addictive chili crunch that added both texture and spice to the dish.  With the herbs, it helped the rice gain some brightness and balance out the heaviness of the oil.  With the shrimp, they were meaty with a sweet snap while the chicken was nicely seared from the stir-fry.  On top of the chicken fried rice, we found a fried egg that added a custardy texture to the rice.

So for our most recent visit, we had two cocktails to start including the Salsa Verde and the Mexican Coca-Cola.  With a beautiful spiciness balanced off by sweetness, the Salsa Verde benefits from the pear cordial and lime.  These offer up brightness to counter the strength of the mezcal and tequila.  As for the Mexican Coca-Cola, don't let the name fool you into thinking this was so weak drink.  Rather, it had some real bite from the mezcal and tequila.  Some Coca Cola syrup provided the background essence of the drink.

A dish that is not currently offered, but has stuck in my mind was the Mackeral with pickled ramps cream sauce.  This was ever-so-simple with super-fresh mackeral (like flown in the day of) that was salted and seared until the skin was super crispy.  It remained rare and was perfectly deboned.  Each piece had the freshness of the sea with natural sweetness accented by sake. The sauce was mild and added some tanginess.

Still on the menu, the Buckwheat Spaghetti was a robust and hearty dish.  I felt the texture of the spaghetti was perfectly al dente while being firmer than its wheat flour version.  The generous amount of duck ragu was meaty with equal parts umami and sweetness.  This was accented by the kombu, pickled ramps and sake where there was acidity and added sweetness from the sake.  As mentioned, this was pretty hearty, which would be paired well with a refreshing beverage.

On that note, two of the more refreshing cocktails are the Seoul and Tokyo.  Both from the Lightness part of the cocktail menu, they helped cut the heaviness of the pasta.  For the Seoul, it had some kick due to the gochujang, but also sweetness from the grapefruit soda.  In typical Korean fashion, we found some sesame oil for that unmistakable aroma.  As for the Tokyo, it had all the colour from the matcha, but in reality, the banana came through with sweet aroma.  But then some curious saltiness comes through too.  A soft ice cream mochi on the side was great too.

We had two off-menu items that were similar, yet remarkable different as well.  The first was the Argentinian Prawn Risotto with mushroom XO sauce and scallion oil.  Absolutely adored this dish as the rice itself was al dente, bordering on hard, but wasn't.  This was a flavour bomb with sweet and briny hits of Argentinian prawn shells cooked down into the broth.  The XO sauce provided an umami tang that helped bring the dish alive.  As for the other risotto, it was a Snow Crab Risotto with New Brunswick Acadian Caviar and scallion oil.  This was much more subtle with the sweet saltiness of crab.  The caviar wasn't just there for decadence's sake.  Rather, the pops of briny saltiness only provided another layer of flavour.  The generous amount of snow crab leg meat was buttery and soft while naturally sweet.

At first, I was thinking that the Octopus was a bit too chewy for my liking.  But as I ate more of the dish, I started to understand it more.  Sure, it was not exactly super soft, but that wasn't the point of the dish.  Instead, the extra chewing involved allowed the flavours to be more pronounced.  The red zhoug afforded heat, sweetness and some smokiness to the dish.  The topping of tomato chili salsa added brightness and freshness.  The side of cuttlefish ink aioli helped cool things down nicely.

We ended up with a few vegetable dishes off the menu including the Roasted Brussels Sprouts and the Cauliflower.  Really enjoyed the sprouts as they were cooked just enough so that they retained some crunch.  There was also some lightly blanched leaves on top for colour and a different texture.  What really made this dish was the sultana raisins as they added an intense sweetness.  That was further aided by the pear agrodolce with more sweetness and balanced off with tanginess.  As for the cauliflower, it was beautifully plated with fasoulia, crispy chickpeas and saffron tahini.  Nutty and seasoned, the cauliflower was still firm while cooked through.  It sat atop a bean stew that had some slight sweetness while the saffron tahini was aromatic and nutty.  The crunch from the chickpeas was an appealing addition.

Onto some heavier meat dishes, we had the Korean Braised Shortrib with gochujang glaze, bak choy condiment and shaved pear.  The large pieces of deboned shortrib were fall apart tender and moist.  I felt that the gochujang was evident with mild spice and tanginess but the dish could've used a bit more salt.  Loved the subtle addition of shaved Asian pear as it provided freshness and the classic mild floral sweetness.

We ended off the savoury dishes with the AAA Bone-in Striploin with some side condiments.  The steak itself was prepared a perfect medium-rare where it was well-rested.  Hence, the meat was juicy while not exhibiting any moisture on the plate.  The steak itself was well-charred and salted.  However, we found some tangy and salty castelvetrano salsa verde, a silky and earthy rosemary jus and pickled mushrooms.  The mushrooms acted as a palate cleanser in between bites of the steak.

 

Onto the sweets, we had a playful creation in the Popcorn consisting of cheddar cake, caramel sauce, corn mousse & foam and aged cheddar.  So yes, this was savoury and sweet as well as cheesy.  The popcorn aroma did come through while the cheese made this dessert in my opinion.  The added salt and nuttiness created loads of umami.  Something familiar to me, the Sticky Toffee Pudding was like a warm hug with rich winter spices., this was not super sweet like the classic rendition, rather it offered depth and smokiness.  The peppercorn and white chocolate crema provided the necessary moisture to soften up the slightly firm pudding.

 

One of the best desserts I've had at Elem was the Koji Banana Bread with toasted meringue, pear sorbet and toasted hazelnuts.  Completely caramelized and crispy, the outside of the banana bread was smoky and sweet.  Beyond that, the bread was soft and moist with the sweet aroma of ripe bananas.  Good choice of the pear sorbet as it complimented the dish without taking over.  We also had the Nemesis Cake with miso vanilla ice cream, tarragon wafer and pine nuts.  This flourless cake was creamy and ganache-like.  Modestly sweet, the dark chocolate vibes came through with a bit of bitterness.  Nice crunch from the wafer and the fermented saltiness of the ice cream acted like flakes of salt with the cake.  Yes, this basically covers most of the menu and naturally, some dishes stand out more than others.  That goes for any menu especially when we are dealing with subjective tastes.  As a whole, the food delivers and there is a concentrated effort going on to be one of the best in the country.  As I've said, they are well on the road to accomplish that.

 

The Good:

- Vish knows when to be bold and when to dial it back when it comes the flavours

- Winnie dares to be a mad scientist with her cocktails

- Hasib and the restaurant team make every experience memorable

 

The Bad:

- As with any sharing plate restaurant, prices can get up there if you aren't careful, I'm not careful...

 

Curry N Grill East Indian Bistro

You know I've been talking about the elevation of cuisines that have been traditionally "cheap eats".  That would include Chinese, Vietnamese, Middle Eastern and the sort.  Over the past 10 years of so, we have seen Indian restaurants (representing various regions in India) become much more opulent and offering up delicious fusion dishes as well as cocktails.  One of the newest is located on Granville between West 10th and 11th.  They took over the spot that The Marquis used to occupy and they have retained the elevated pub decor and atmosphere.  Chef Kamal is at the helm and he has travelled the world working in such places as the Taj Hotel and Park Plaza in India, Oman, Germany and in London, where he refined his skills in Michelin-starred restaurants.  With all this experience, we were excited to try his food!

To start, we had the Reshmi Chicken Tikka and Veg Samosa.   Served straight off the skewer from the tandoor, the chicken was succulent and full-flavoured.  It was aromatic and nutty featuring caramelization and char on the outside.  As for the samosa, it was full of tender potatoes that were not mushy.  Rather, there was still a bit of texture.  It was nicely spiced where there was a touch of heat to go with the earthiness.  The pastry itself was crispy and not greasy.

We then moved onto 2 classics in the Butter Chicken and Lamb Vindaloo.  Creamy and earthy, the butter chicken had a nice balance from the tanginess.  There was also some spice to it and sweetness as well.  The sufficient chunks of chicken breast were tender.  As for the vindaloo, the lamb was lean, yet still succulent.   Beyond that, the curry was full of depth with the burst of tang from the vinegar while the spices gave off fall flavours from the cloves and cinnamon.

If you look at the Palak Paneer, you will notice that it is really green.  Unlike other versions, it looks freshly green, where they didn't cook it too long and put it in a cold water bath.  Hence, I could really taste the spinach and the texture wasn't completely mush.  The ginger really came through and the paneer was soft and squishy.  Sizzling on the hot cast iron plate, the Tandoori Chicken was fantastic.  There was a smoky char and plenty of caramelization.  The chicken was tender and juicy while beautifully marinated.

We also added the Fish Pakora after the fact and it turned out to be an excellent choice.  The medium-sized pieces of fish were flaky and moist while coated in a fairly thin batter.  It was crispy and well-spiced with some earthy and nutty notes.  Of course we had some Garlic Naan to accompany out curries (as well as rice).  This version was more on the crispier side with a completely browned bottom and blistered top.  Hence, it needed to be dipped into a curry to soften it up.  There was plenty of garlic, so it was pretty tasty on its own.

Our last 2 curries happened to be our favourites in the Creamy Chicken and Coconut Prawn.  I've had something similar to the creamy chicken lately at another restaurant where they called it "Marry Me Chicken".  Well for this version, I would definitely commit!  It was creamy as promised while not completely heavy either.  It was lightly sweet with some spice and the usual cumin earthiness.  The dark meat chicken was super tender.  As for the coconut prawn, it was also creamy but with a coconutty aroma.  It was also sweet and had just a slight hint of the prawn brininess.  Definitely went well with the basmati rice.

So we had a few beverages to compliment our meal in the Watermelon Mojito, Rainbow Cocktail and Empress Gimlet.  Totally refreshing and excellent for Summer, the mojito was light and just sweet enough.  I found the the rainbow cocktail to be rather sweet from all the layers of syrups.  Best to pair that with spicier and robust dishes.  The gimlet was also light and went well with the seafood dishes.  For dessert, we had the Gulub Jamun served with ice cream.  Normally, I am not a fan of these rose-water soaked dough balls.  Shockingly, I didn't mind these since they were sweet, but not crazy sweet.  They were soft and aromatic.  The ice cream was high-quality too being creamy.  Overall, the meal at Curry N Grill was fantastic and food was prepared carefully.  Nice to see an authentic Indian restaurant with reasonably-priced eats along South Granville in Vancouver.

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

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Well-priced (also daily deals available)
- Comfortable dining room

The Bad:
- Parking can be a challenge in the area during peak times

 

Kamei on Broadway (Seasonal Menu)

I remember heading to Kamei on Broadway as a kid and getting my real first introduction to sushi.  It wasn't long after that I got hooked onto slices of raw fish, nigiri and maki.  Fast forward to the present and Kamei still stands in the very same spot with some of the same decor.  However, they have modernized with cocktails and creative menu items.  I sampled that last time I was here.  This time around, we got to try some of their items from the Seasonal Menu.

Although the dishes didn't arrive in this order, I will talk about the smaller plates first.  These included the Spicy Tuna Crisp and the BBQ Pork Kushiyaki.  With perfectly fried sushi rice, the textures were on point.  The rice itself was warm, chewy and seasoned while the outside was uniformly crunchy.  Tuna was buttery and mildly spiced.  As for the pork kushi, it was seared up well being a bit crispy.  With just enough fat, the meat was bouncy and tender.

Onto the bigger plates, we had the Roast Beef Pasta.  This featured thin slices of perfectly medium-rare roast beef.  It appeared to be sous-vide since it was really soft and uniformly cooked (but not completely sure).  The al dente pasta was dressed in a cream sauce with mushroom, onion and bacon.  I could definitely get the onion in the pasta and would've liked to see it cooked down a bit more.  The onsen egg on top added another layer of creaminess. 

The showstopper had to be the Nova Scotia Lobster Pasta.  For $55.00 on Saturdays, you get a whole lobster's worth of meat in a creamy pasta.  I thought this was quite good where the pasta was al dente like the previous dish.  It was creamy, but not heavy.  The sauce was like a hybrid of creamy and brothy.  Hence the broth portion was full of lobster umaminess.  The pieces of lobster were sweet and had that bounce texture.  Moreover, the claws had even more meat (once you got into them).

We also tried the Tonkotsu Ramen which was hit and miss.  I found the noodles to be perfectly chewy with elasticity.  Even the broth was fairly good having a creaminess and meatiness.  The fatty chashu was melt-in-our-mouths tender while exhibiting a rich porky flavour.  So far so good right?  Well, the addition of red onion was a real miss as it was far too strong and overtook everything in terms of impact.  If you are to order this, get them to omit it. 

We also had some Drinks to go with our food including the Sunshine Coast, Coke Float, Shinjuku Martini and Plum Spritzer.  Our last dish was almost as showstopping as the Lobster Pasta.  The Unagi Tamago Don featured a big piece of tamagoyaki underneath the eel.  About that eel, it was literally the whole thing with 2 large fillets beautifully grilled and glazed.  The tamagoyaki was also good where it was sweet and fluffy.  Overall, the seasonal menu at Kamei is quite good.  It features an array of dishes at reasonable prices.  The lobster pasta special is also good and well-priced considering how much lobster you get.  Same could be said about the Unagi Tamago Don.  Nice to see them changing it up with modern offerings.

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

The Good:

- Doing something different as opposed to the regular stuff

- Well-priced, including the cocktails

- Deluxe daily specials where you can have the expensive stuff for less

The Bad:

- Parking is still not the best in the area

- Ramen should not have red onion in it, too strong

Salsa & Guacamole

Ah yes, hidden restaurants or sometimes referred to as hidden gems, those are places that aren't inherently obvious but are great places to dine at.  Generally, these spots are not actually hidden (mind you, some are like in an alley), but they are actually in a weird location and/or far away.  Well, Salsa & Guacamole can be considered a bit hidden, as it is underneath Old Surrey on 72nd Ave, yet it is also a gem because the food is great and the ambiance is surprisingly nice.  Jackie and I came here for a visit recently.

To start things off, we had some beverages including the Blue Caribbean and Pina Colada.   Both were tropical tasting and refreshing.  Those were great, but the real highlight was the Tequila Flight.  This featured 1800 Tequila Reposado, 1800 Tequila Anejo and 1800 Tequila Cristalino.  With my recent experience at the Tequila Festival, there were distinct differences between Tequilas.  I found the Reposado to have more bite with oakiness and slight spice.  As for the Anjeo, it was much smoother with spice and sweetness.  Lastly, the Cristalino is a charcoal-washed Tequila that was smooth with some spiciness and less oakiness.

Of course we needed some eats to balance off the booze right?  Well, it started off on a really good note with El Trio featuring 3 dips.  Chips were crispy and fresh, but the real stars of the show were the dips.  Starting with the Salsa, it was rich with a kick and balancing tanginess.  Guacamole was whipped, so it was super light and airy.  Also really fresh.  Best dip of all was the Queso Fundido with chorizo.  Cheesy and meaty!

Next up was the Fish Tacos with battered cod, cabbage, pickled red onion, cilantro and topped with house-made crema verde.  These were on point with soft flour tortillas and a crunchy piece of cod that was flaky and moist inside.  The rest of the components added crunch, freshness, acidity, brightness and creaminess.  Add in the side of salsa and a squeeze of the lime wedge and this was delicious.

On the topic of bright and fresh, the Ceviche was also appetizing.  It consisted of white fish, lime juice and red onion.  Naturally, there was a tanginess to the ceviche and the fish was cooked in the acid.  Texturally, it was buttery with a slight chew.  The onions added both crunch and sharpness to the dish.  We found 3 tostaditas to use for eating vessels and pico de gallo to provide further freshness and a touch of spice.

It seems like Birria Tacos are everywhere, yet for good reason - they are tasty!  The ones here were no exception as they were stuffed with tender shredded beef, cheese, onion and cilantro.  Loved that the tortillas were dipped in fat, but weren't overly greasy.  Aromatics were definitely there and the beef was meaty.  Lots of melted cheese added body and onions provided so bite.  Although not looking like it, the birria broth on the side was super flavourful with sweetness, umaminess and meatiness. 

We moved onto a large dish next with the Las Divorciadas featuring 2 green sauce and 2 red sauce enchiladas stuffed with chicken with rice, refried bean and sour cream on the side.  These were quite good with the red sauce covered with plenty of melted cheese.  I found the chicken to be tender while the red sauce had a muted tang.  Green was tangier and brighter.  Without the cheese, it allowed the chicken and tortilla to stand out more.

Ending off our meal, we had the 7 inch long Churros served with a side of ice cream.  We had one each stuffed with Nutella and Dulce de Leche.  I much preferred the latter as it was rich with sweet caramel.  The churro itself was crispy while still having some lightness inside.   Overall, the meal we had at Salsa and Guacamole was delicious, all served in a classy space.   Food was high quality and prepared with care.  Definitely a more refined Mexican dining experience.

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

The Good:

- Well-prepared eats

- Refined experience

- Nice dining space

The Bad:

- Parking is somewhat limited