Sula (Dine Out Vancouver 2026)

Here we go with Sula again for this years Dine-Out Vancouver festival (from Jan 21st to Feb 8th).  You have heard me have differing opinions about DOV over the years, which has been both positive and negative.  I would say earlier on, around 15+ years ago, DOV was not exactly a draw for me.  The menus were mediocre and we weren't really get good value (since portion sizes were small and the dishes were not appealing).  I would say in more recent years, restaurants have taken it more seriously and the menus have been much better as well as the food.  Of course that has coincided with increasing prices across the board.  If we look at Sula's DOV $45.00 5-course menu, this would qualify as one of the better values.  It includes choice of appetizer, palate cleanser, main (includes rice & naan), dessert and chai.  

Choices for the appetizers include the Tandoori Pineapple Chaat, Chicken Tikka Bao and Sesame Garlic Fried Cauliflower.   Although the dish was essentially charred cubes of fresh pineapple, the Tandoori Pineapple Chaat was so refreshing and truly appetizing.  Sweet and juicy, the pineapple was beautifully charred giving caramelized with smoky vibes.  This was further enhanced by the wheat papdi.  It added a light crunch that was the perfect foil for the juicy pineapple.  With chaat spices and accompanying herbs, we got the usual earthiness combined with tangy, sweet and herbaceousness.

Probably the most filling appetizer was the Chicken Tikka Bao as it was a large steamed bun stuffed with shredded chicken tikka, cucumber, red onion, cilantro aioli and tandoori aioli.  Beyond the fluffy bun, the chicken tikka was tender and moist with a good amount of spice (not heat) and mild tomato tanginess.  Naturally, the cucumber and onion provided some fresh and vibrant crunch while the aiolis added creaminess.  In particular, the cilantro aioli did its herbaceous thing.  The Sesame Garlic Fried Cauliflower was solid with crispy florets that were cooked all the way through but not being soft.  The crispy batter remained as such despite the coating of sauce.  It was appealing being tangy and sweet.

In between the appetizer and entree courses, we were presented with a palate cleanser in the Wildberry Sorbet.  It isn't often we get this at an Indian restaurant and it was literally a refreshing change.  Light and sweet, this helped us get ready for the heavier dishes.  There are special cocktails ($14.00 each) available for the Dine Out menu and we had 2 of them including the Bombay Blue and the Lemongrass Lyric.  With a pronounced liquorice essence due to the star anise-infused Bombay Sapphire, this also had elements of red apple and lemon.  The sweetness of the lychee meshed well with the bright lemongrass with the Lemongrass Lyric.  Really nice cocktails that helped bring the heaviness down a notch.

For the mains, one can choose from Mango Chicken Korma, Kolkata Lamb, Mushroom Coconut Curry and Paneer & Green Beans Biryani.  Sweet and aromatic, the chicken in the mango korma was in big tender chunks.  They were juicy despite being white meat.  The nuttiness of cashews came through in both aromatic as well as texture (making the curry thick).

With large chunks of meat, the Kolkata Lamb was full of rich spices that were earthy, fall-tasting and spicy.  I asked for this one to be extra hot and it definitely was, yet at the same time, wasn't overwhelming.  The sweetness of the onions and bite for the ginger were evident. The lamb was tender with that unmistakable gelatinous texture.  It was definitely lamb-tasting with an appealing gaminess (for me at least).

For me, the best option for the mains happened to be vegetarian.  Creamy and rich, the Coconut Mushroom Curry was a flavour bomb that hit all the right notes.  The combination of coconutty aromatics and sweetness with the earthiness of the mushrooms gave out strong umami vibes.  Salt levels were just right as well as the sweetness. Combined with the choice of naan (this went well with the just the plain one), this was a fulfilling dish.

Another vegetarian option is the Paneer and Green Beans Biryani.  Naturally, without any meat, the rice was less robust and ate almost fluffier.  It wasn't devoid of spice though as it was earthy with some heat.  Loved the cubes of squishy paneer as it added body to the dish and the green beans were soft and almost juicy.  This came with some a spicy and creamy peanut salan to kick up the richness and aromatics of the Biyani while the raita on the side cooled things down.

All of the meals included a choice of Basmati Rice or Coconut Rice as well as a choice of Tandoori Naan, Garlic Naan or Onion & Cilantro Naan.  Naan was great as it was fluffy with elasticity while the outside was nicely charred and blistered.  In addition to dessert, a cup of Rose Chai was served as well.  It was fragrant and purposefully sweet.

Desserts include a choice of Macha Rasmalai Cake or Classic Coconut Payasam.  Although the sponge cake was on the firmer side, the Macha cake ate quite well.  It was not overly sweet and was rather aromatic.  Really enjoyed the payasam as the rice pudding was creamy with measured rich sweetness from the jaggery.  Definitely could taste the cardamom and also the sweetness of the fried raisins on top.  Nice textural contrast with that and the cashews.  Overall, the meal was delicious and well-priced considering how many items that were included.  I would do the Coconut Mushroom Curry all day, even if it didn't have meat.  Shockingly, the Tandoori Pineapple Chaat was my favourite appie.  So no meat to be seen in my meal.  If you do that combination and you have a heartier appetite, you might best stick with at least one meat dish.  Be aware that the Dine Out menu is different at all Sula locations.  This particular one is only for Commercial Drive.

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

The Good:

- Well-priced

- The menu includes enough food and sides

- Delicious

The Bad:

- Not that it wasn't any good, but unless you are vegetarian, best not to get the Biryani as it is mainly rice and then it includes more rice and naan

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