Sherman's Food Adventures: Dine Out
Showing posts with label Dine Out. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dine Out. Show all posts

Sula Indian Restaurant (Dine Out Vancouver 2025)

Here we are at Sula to try out their Dine Out Vancouver 2025 menu.  I've always said that not all DOV menus are created equal as some restaurants tend to make up stuff that generally has nothing to do with their regular menu and/or serves things that are just not very good.  They do understand that the whole point is to hopefully capture some repeat customers right???  Well I'm glad to report that Sula has got the memo and their menu is not only appealing at first glance, it is affordable at $39.00 whereas many places are much more than that (however, some are worth it, just depends on the menu!).

For the DOV menu, there are 3 choices for appetizers including the Palak & Kale Chaat.  I've had this dish several times before and I have to say that this version was one of the crunchiest.  This painstakingly labour-intensive dish requires battering and frying each piece of spinach and kale individually.  The result here was universally crispy pieces doused in tangy, sweet and bright chutneys.  There was some sweet yogurt to cool thing soft while some firmly crunchy sev added even more texture.

The one meat option for the appetizers was the Achari Chicken Tikka.  These were marinated in pickle spice which gave them a slight earthiness while helping them stay moist and tender.  There was a nice char from the tandoor which afforded nuttiness and smokiness.  The pieces of chicken themselves were rather mild, but with the help of 2 chutneys on the side, they came to life.  I much preferred dipping them into the tamarind with its sweet tanginess, but I'm sure the traditionalists would use the bright and slightly spicy mint chutney instead.

The vegan option in the appetizer section was the Sweet Cauliflower Chili Bites.  These were lightly battered and served crispy.  Even after the toss of sweet and spicy chili sauce, most parts were not softened.  The cauliflower florets were fully-cooked but did not become overly soft.  There was still a bite.  As you can see, this was a rather large portion for one person, as with the other appie options.  This was probably strategic as the main courses were modest in size.

About those mains, we tried the first of 4 choices in the Mughlai Chicken.  Now, let me say this - sure the curries themselves were modest in size, but it also came with choice of rice and choice of naan.  So including the appetizer, you won't go hungry.  Back to the chicken, it was bathed in a nutty and creamy curry.  It had definitely some earthiness to go with a slight gingery aftertaste.  This was mild and went well with the coconut rice.  There was some scrambled egg to be found in it in lieu of hard-boiled eggs.  As for the chicken, the pieces were large and completely tender.

Onto a vegetarian offering, we found the Spinach and Cheese Kofta sitting in a creamy cheese and nut sauce.  The kofta were quite good with a firm density that changed as we broke them apart.  Loosening them with a spoon and soaking into the sauce, the combination of paneer and spinach became almost fluffy.  It took on the slight saltiness of the cheese as well as the nuttiness from the cashews.  It was also buttery and creamy that offered up richness to go with either the rice or naan.

For a $3.00 supplemental charge, you could opt for the Bhuna Lamb which was meaty, yet still fork tender.  Since the cut was lean meat, the lamb gaminess was minimal.  This didn't sit in a sauce per se because the cooking process sees spices fried up and then other ingredients are allowed to evaporate.  This dish is somewhat like a Malaysian Rendang with just enough earthy and spicy sauce.  I enjoyed this with the coconut rice.

The last main dish option was also my favourite and it was *gasp* vegan!  It was the Portobello Mushroom Curry cooked in a coconut curry.  Due to the use of coconut milk/cream, this curry was still rich and full-of-depth.  The sweetness and slight spice came through as well as the usual fall flavours.  I found that the portobello mushroom juices melded with the curry and gave it plenty of umaminess and body.  Super delicious and I soaked this up with the garlic naan.

So about the Naan, we had 3 choices including Garlic Naan, Onion & Cilantro Naan and the classic Naan.  As you can see, these were huge and in addition to the choice of Basmati Rice or Coconut Rice, you certainly would be hard-pressed to finish it all considering the large appetizers.  These were cooked up in the tandoor and sported nice charring on the bottom.  They had appealing elasticity and some fluffiness after the initial chew.


Onto dessert, there were 2 choices including the Mango Coconut Cake and the Rose Milk Cake with Cardamom Saffron Rabdi.  My pick of the 2 has to go with the former as it was light and creamy with mousse-like layers of sweet and tropical mango and coconut.  As for the latter, it was not as sweet as it appeared or sounded.  The cake was supremely moist and definitely floral.  Lots of aromatics here.  In the background, you will notice 2 featured drinks in the Masala Mango Maragrita and the Bangalore Bloom.  Both of these drinks were dangerous because they went down rather easy.  The fruitiness of the margarita made it light and refreshing while the bloom had elements of chai with fruit juices.  Overall, the DOV menu at Sula Commercial is a good value.  For $39.00, you will be full due to the large appies and the inclusion of both rice and a huge piece of naan.  Flavours and spices are definitely there, although I would recommend getting something more than mild.  We did that given differing tolerances, but that severely impacts the overall taste of the curry.

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

The Good:
- Appealing price point
- You get enough food
- It tastes good

The Bad:

- You get enough food, but it is a bit carb heavy

 

Paella Guys: Live the Experience (Dine Out 2024)

With memories of their Paella cooking class still fresh in mind, I was looking forward to the Paella Guys Live the Experience as part of the Dine Out Vancouver Fest.  Rather than being in their commissary kitchen, they take over a quaint spot at Dageraad Brewing just next door.  Seated at a communal table, it is a night truly to be with friends and to make new ones.  This I did since Jackie was stuck at Metrotown due to a shutdown of Skytrain.  The people around me were fun and we had great conversation.

Onto the food, much like the Paella cooking class, we were presented with a collection of tapas to share.  This included Marcona Almonds, Tortilla de Patatas, Anchovy Marinated Olives, Spanish Iberico Meats and Jamon Iberico.  These were a nice start to the meal and as I've said before, Marcona almonds are the best!  So light and crunchy.  Meats were solid but the tortilla was my favourite as it had just enough potato to compliment the fluffy egg as well as some onion for sweetness.


Now the tortilla was delicious, but the Empanada Gallega de Atun was even better in my opinion.  These little pies featured a light and flaky crust that was a good match for the tuna filling.  With olives, tomatoes and peppers, the filling did have some antipasto sauce vibes (yes, I know that is Italian, but you get the idea).  For my beverage (extra cost from the meal) was the Japanese-style Dark Larger with wild rice.  Despite the dark hue, this was still refreshing and crisp with more depth.

Usually, I'm as excited about a salad as a root canal (I've had one, so yah, I'm serious).  However, this Ensalada Mediterranea was absolutely stunning to look at and super delicious to eat.  When they were preparing it, they tossed in a good amount of salt.  This really helped bring out the flavour of the vinaigrette as well as the natural sweetness of the beets, tomatoes and corn.  As such, I went back for seconds!  A salad!  Beneath the vibrant veggies, we found a mix of crisp greens.


Onto the main event - the Paella Mixta with bomba rice, chicken, red peppers, mushrooms, onions, shrimp, prawns, tomatoes, garlic, pimenton and house-made seafood stock.  As big as this paella was, the entire thing was perfectly cooked.  Beyond the al dente and super aromatic rice, we found pieces of socarrat that was both nutty and provided a nice mouth feel.  The chicken thighs were still tender while the shrimp and prawns were just barely cooked through.

For dessert, we had the Tarta de Santiago.  I've had this before and yah, this was just as delicious as last time.  This almond tart had aromatic and buttery crunchy edges with caramelized sweetness.  Inside, the almond was nutty, buttery and purposefully sweet.  Loved the obvious taste of lemon in these as it brightened things up.  Overall, this was a fun night that was more than just the food.  Yes, it was fantastic (and also plentiful, because you can have seconds), but the communal table, live music and vibe were the things that made this a unique experience.

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

The Good:
- This is how we should eat this food, with friends, music and drinks
- Excellently-prepared Paella
- Unique

The Bad:
- Once again, the parking situation in the industrial parking lot is challenging

Kamei on Broadway (Dine Out 2024)

A year ago, I was reintroduced to an ol' favourite in Kamei on Broadway.  I've had so many memories at this location especially from my childhood.  Hey, they were the only game in town when it came to Japanese food!  Well, this time around, Jackie was invited to try their Dine Out menu and she asked me to tag along.  Hey, I wasn't going to say no because I enjoyed my last meal there.  Also, Jackie is really cool and fun to be around (maybe she reads this and she gets me to tag along more often! LOL).

Anyways, their Dine Out 2024 menu will set you back only $48.00 and includes a Miso Soup to start and a choice of appetizer including the Karaage Taster featuring Chikuwa Cheese, Chicken Karaage and Vegetable Croquette.  As you can see, this was quite the dish of food.  I found the karaage quite good since the chicken was juicy and the batter was light and crispy.  The chikuwa cheese was pretty typical, but had plenty of melty cheese inside.  The croquette was soft and creamy with a crunchy panko batter.


Another appie option is the Sashimi Plate with one piece each of salmon, tuna, hamachi and hokkigai.  This was good where all the pieces had a nice sheen with an essence from the sea.  As for the other choice, it was the Aburi Salmon Inferno.  Essentially bite-sized aburi salmon oshi (minus the mayo) with some tobiko on top, this was very tasty.  Aside from the visuals, the salmon was torched nicely being smoky while buttery.

Onto the mains, we also had 3 choices including the Meat Lover's Trio sporting beef short ribs, chicken teriyaki and pork belly chashu on top of rice in a hot stone bowl.  Oh this was a good amount of food as there was 2 pieces of each type of meat.  About that meat, the short rib was nicely grilled and marinated while the chicken was moist and tender.  Pork chashu was fatty and buttery as well.  The sauce had plenty of umaminess and saltiness to season the rice.

Possibly the best value of the 3 choices is the Alaskan Sablefish with rice and seasonal vegetables.  We all know expensive this type of fish can be and the fact they include 2 large pieces makes this a steal for the price.  We found the fish to be flaky and super buttery.  It was supremely fresh and lightly seasoned.  There was some miso sauce on the plate to help provide more impact.  Veggies were cooked just right being still crunchy.

Now the third option is no slouch either in that Uni Cream Miso Udon with grilled black tiger prawns.  This was definitely luxurious due to the creaminess of the sauce as well as the addition of an onsen egg and a dollop of uni.  I found the onions provided a complimentary sweetness while the pops of bininess from ikura added seafoodiness.  The udon was tender but still had a chew.  Prawns were large and meaty.


Providing 2 very different dessert options, we have the Mochi Ice and the Oreo Cheesecake.  For me, I love fruity things so the mango ice was a nice finish to a fantastic meal.  The warm mochi helped melt the ice a bit (made it somewhat of a drink) while keeping a soft and pillowy texture.  There was a some ice cream and red bean for some extra sweetness.  As for the cheesecake, it wasn't as heavy as it appeared and wasn't as sweet either.  So as you can see, the Dine Out menu at Kamei won't leave you hungry as the portion sizes are substantial.  Beyond that, the food is well-prepared and flavourful.

*All food was complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Large portions
- Tasty dishes
- Well-priced

The Bad:
- As mentioned in my previous post, the place could use a refresh

Ancora Waterfront Dining & Patio (Dine Out 2024)

It has been quite some time since I've been back to the False Creek location of Ancora.  Hey, it wasn't because I didn't like the place, in fact, it was pretty good.  With all of the new restaurants I need to try and also being out-of-town on many occasions, doing a revisit just never happened.  This time around, I was invited to sample their Dine Out Vancouver menus (for lunch & dinner) including some cocktails and wine pairings.  3-course for lunch is $45.00 and for dinner it is $59.00.

For the lunch menu, there are 2 choices for starters, and for me, I was served the Chicharron Sushi Roll consisting of sous-vide and fried pork belly, miso sauce and black pepper.  This ate really well with chewy and seasoned sushi rice.  The pork belly was aromatic and had a nice crunch.  Nice textural contrast from the ripe avocado.  Appealingly offering up a fermented saltiness, the miso provided the savouriness while the slice of jalapeno on top added some spice.

The next course also had 2 options including a Shrimp Risotto or a Sushi Pizza.  As you can see, I was served the pizza and it was very good.  The "crust" was fried sushi rice and I found it to be perfect.  It was uniformly crispy on the outside while the rice was warm, chewy and moist on the inside.  On top, there was dungeness crab, avocado cream, unagi sauce, tuna and sockeye salmon.  I found the fish to be good quality and exhibiting a fresh sheen.  They were buttery and soft with a natural sweetness.

For dinner, we find 3 options for starters including the Soft Shell Crab Tacos with ikura and mango salsa.  This was a fairly large appetizer with a gigantic soft shell crab.  It was delicate and creamy as expected, but the batter was just a touch thick.  This was still good though as it had a nice crunch and the accompanying salsa provided some sweetness.  There was also some nice spice from the mayo as well as the spice-rubbed lime.

There are also 3 choices for mains and in this case, I was served 2 of them.  The first was the Solterito Salad with red and white organic quinoa, queso fresco, chulpi corn, edamame, huacatay & seasonal vegetables.  Sure, a salad may not be the most filling option, but believe me, this was pretty delicious and surprisingly satisfying.  The 3 large prawns were crispy on the outside while exhibiting a meaty snap on the inside.  The combination of ingredients including some root veggies and the quinoa made this more than just a salad.

The other main dish was the Beef Stir Fry featuring sautéed striploin, red onions, scallions, saltado sauce and 
a rice.  I really enjoyed this dish even though I was skeptical at first.  The beef was far more tender than I would've imagined and it was cooked perfectly.  Just into the medium-rare zone, the meat was juicy and nicely caramelized on the outside.  There was some really good flavours going on with saltiness, tang and sweetness.  The al dente rice was well-seasoned and nutty while being an excellent compliment to the stir-fry.

For both lunch and dinner, the Picarones are an option for dessert.  These little squash & yam donuts came with pecans, spiced syrup and lucuma ice-cream.  Absolutely loved them as the outside was lightly crispy while the inside had a pleasant chewiness.  They were not dense while still having some robustness.  Although sweet, the syrup was not overly so, rather being aromatic and smoky. 


Of course a meal isn't complete (for some people that is) without cocktails and/or wine pairings.  Naturally, being a Peruvian-Japanese restaurant, there is also selection of Sake.  I tried their most popular cocktail in the Pisco Sour and it was well-balanced with the classic sweet and sour elements.  Since I was driving, I stuck with the mocktails in the Pineapple Soda and Inca Elixr for my other drinks.  Particularly enjoyed the refreshing fruitiness of both.  Wine pairings are available at $29.00 for lunch and $39.00 for dinner.  Overall, the Dine Out offerings at Ancora feature quality ingredients that are well-prepared.  Pricing is fair for the food as well as the wine pairings.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this post*

The Good:
- Quality ingreidents
- Well-prepared
- Lovely location

The Bad:
- Batter on the soft-shell crab could've been lighter

Street Food City (2022 Dine Out Vancouver Festival)

It is nice to see that food truck pods are becoming a thing in the Lower Mainland.  However, this is still a temporary occurrence as there never seems to be any consistency.  Sometimes they only exist as part of a special event and sometimes, they just get their permits cancelled due to complaints from surrounding businesses. So let us celebrate when we have a good collection of diverse food trucks in one spot for us to enjoy.  This is the case for Dine Out Vancouver Fest with Street Food City at the Vancouver Art Gallery plaza from Jan 15th - 23rd.

I was invited to sample something from every food truck on sight including one of my favourites in Disco Cheetah.  We decided to get the KFC Rice Bowl with multigrain rice, greens, corn, edamame, pickled red cabbage, scallion, Oriental vinaigrette, Korean fried boneless chicken thigh, chili mayo and garlic mayo.  Beyond the punch provided from the mayo and various textures from the veggies, the KFC was the star for sure.  It was in large pieces, crispy and juicy.

I've also had Super Thai in the past and we decided on the Pad Thai Chicken in medium spice.  This came with wider rice noodles which afforded a chewier texture (also was prepared properly so it wasn't overdone).  In terms of flavour, there was plenty of tang from the tamarind and sweetness from the palm sugar.  This was balanced off by the good heat provided by the chili powder.  My only wish would be for some preserved turnip or radish.

Staying with South Asian cuisine, we got the Beef Rendang with coconut rice from Kampong - Taste of Malaysia.  This featured tender morsels of beef bathed in a rich gravy.  This was definitely cardamom-forward with obvious hints of star anise, cinnamon and lemongrass.  The rice underneath was aromatic and dry enough to compliment the rendang properly. Normally, when I eat this dish, I don't like it spicy, but you can request for it.

I must've had Reel Mac & Cheese a dozen times already because I seem to see them everywhere (including the PNE)!  No big deal because I do enjoy their mac & cheese.  I let them choose the Kevin Bacon to try this time because I've already had almost of the variations already.   This was the beneficiary of a 7 cheese blend and al dente macaroni.  The ample amount of meaty  bacon on top made this quite the meal.

One of the most surprising items we tried was at Mama's Fish & Chips.  Well, first of all, I've never had the pleasure of trying this particular food truck and second, the 2 pc Fish & Chips with 2 prawns added was fantastic!  Normally, fried prawns are pretty standard, but these were so buttery and cold-water crunchy while the batter was lightly crispy.  As for the fish, it was flaky and moist with the same light crispy batter (which wasn't greasy either).  The fries were crispy and the tartar sauce was balanced.

Probably the one picture that didn't do the food justice was the Arancini Trio from Mr. Arancino.  Inside the lightly crispy exterior, there was the usual aborio rice and 3 different fillings including the Mozza with mozzarella cheese; the Beef Ragu with mozzarella and the Pizza with pepperoni, veggies and mozzarella.  These featured al dente risotto with lots of inherent flavour and plenty of melted mozzarella.  I loved the pizza one the best!

Another food truck that I tried for the first time was Melt City Grilled Cheese.  When I asked which one I should try, they suggest the Meat City Melt featuring handmade meatballs with marinara, pineapple and jalapeño jack cheese on sourdough topped with shaved parmesan.  This was a beast with so much going on.  Loved the amount of melted cheese as it had impact in terms of flavour and texture.  The meatballs were indeed meaty, but tender.  Bread choice was perfect with a crunchy exterior and chewy interior.   Not sure about the pineapple, but overall the sandwich was on point.

Last but not least, we had the Connecticut Lobster Roll and Lobster Bisque from Salty's Lobster Shack.  For those who are unfamiliar, this version features butter poached lobster without any mayo or other ingredients (this had a bit of dill though).  This one here had a mixture of lobster and imitation lobster which I didn't mind as the texture was pleasing and there was plenty of buttery garlic goodness.  Bun was toasted well too.  As for the bisque, it was rich and a bit chunky.  That I also didn't mind as it was full of flavour and aromatics with chunks of lobster and bits of veggies.  This was a yummy end to some real gluttony.  Okay, I'm not suggesting you order from every truck, but I'm not stopping you either!  Go check it out if because there are some really good food trucks participating!  There will be a rotating lineup where hours are 11:00am - 2:00pm weekdays and 11:00am - 5:00pm on weekends.

*All food was complimentary for this post except the bisque*

The Good:
- Diverse lineup of food trucks
- Lots of space and outside for those who are not comfortable dining in at this time

The Bad:
- Limited tables and seating

The Rise Eatery (Dine Out Menu)

To be honest, my first few experiences with Dine Out Vancouver Festival were disappointing.  Several restaurants developed DOVF-specific menus that did not reflect their usual offerings which meant I really didn't get the true experience.  To be fair, DOVF has improved over the years with more relevant menus and more restaurants participating.  With that in mind, one still has to peruse all of the menus and choose wisely for it to be a good experience.  Frankly, I wasn't planning on any DOVF reservations this year, but with an invite to try The Rise Eatery's menu, I changed my mind.  No, it wasn't because it was complimentary.  Rather, I tried their menu last year (which was their own version of DOVF) and came away impressed.  I was looking forward to what they had in store for this year as an official Dine Out Vancouver Festival restaurant.

Like last year, joining me again was Jacqueline.  For our appies, we started with the Chicken Seoul Good featuring Korean style fried chicken, wild mushroom cream, truffle oil and grated Parmesan.  Tender and juicy, the chicken would've done North Road proud.  It was crispy with rendered skin and sufficiently seasoned.  On top, the woodsy cream was not over-truffled, which was a good thing.  This ate heavy, so for an appy it was substantial.  Plated on top of masala pumpkin seed romesco sauce and topped with sun-dried tomato chutney, the Curve Ball was made of house vegan cheese, spinach & mushroom risotto.  Essentially an arancini, this ate very well considering the cheese was vegan.  The rice was still firm and the coating was crispy.  I enjoyed their version of a romesco as it was nutty and mild.  What really made the dish was the spicy and tangy chutney.

Onto our mains, the Ode to Adobo sported adobo duck leg confit and menudo longanisa cassoulet.  There was certainly the unmistakable hits of vinegar, soy and garlic while at the same time it was muted enough that it didn't scream out adobo either.  This could've been partially attributed to the addition of carrots and sausage as well as the menudo that created multiple layers of flavour.  I liked how the skin was rendered while most of the meat was tender with a few drier portions.  Okay, we really wanted to try something different this time around, but we just couldn't resist having the famed Uni-versal Pasta XO Edition.  This has to be one of the most unique dishes in Vancouver consisting of squid ink pasta, sea urchin cream, free run egg yolk, house XO sauce sautéed ocean wise prawns, flying fish roe and toasted seaweed.  When mixed together, there were hits of fishiness (in a good way), spice, brininess and umaminess.  The pasta was perfectly al dente and coated evenly with the creamy mix of ingredients.

I really enjoyed one of the two desserts we had in the I Care-A-Mel About U featuring salted caramel crème brûlée, pecan praline and brown butter quinoa crumble.  When I  got a scoop of everything in the cup, I swear it tasted like a salted Almond Roca.  Not sure if that is what they were aiming for, but it was pure deliciousness.  I found it to be silky and light with the sweet crunch of sugar and the nuttiness of the pecan.  Just like last time, we had the Luv U So Matcha that was really good.  Appealingly buttery, the tart shell was firm being a good contrast to the airy matcha cheese.  The matcha was rather strong, but good for those who like the flavour.  Brightening things up was the raspberry coulis on the side.  My only wish that it was bigger, so I could eat more of it.  Other than the great tasting food, the best part of the DOVF menu at The Rise is that all of the dishes are on their regular menu.  No "made-for-DVOF" dishes here.  3-courses for $35.00 starting tonight until February 2nd.

*All food and drink was complimentary*

The Good:
- Same as regular menu
- Unique food
- Asian fusion that actually works

The Bad:
- Um...  tart could've been bigger?

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