Grand Neptune

We all know that the most prevalent Chinese restaurant chain in Vancouver is Neptune.  They come in many flavours such as Neptune Wonton Noodle, Neptune Seafood Restaurant and their higher-end Neptune Palace.  Now, they have gone one step further with Grand Neptune, taking over the spot that used to house Grand Dynasty.  Naturally, the place is a step up with a gorgeous VIP room (that I dined in) and subsequently, higher prices.

Even though the first dish to arrive was the congee, I'm going to talk about the most important dishes first - Ha Gau (Shrimp Dumpling) and Siu Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumpling) first.  Both were textbook in terms of execution with the dumpling skin on the ha gau to be fairly thin and translucent.  It had good elasticity and wasn't oversteamed.  The shrimp filling was buttery with a sweet snap.  I could taste the sesame oil and the natural flavour of the shrimp.  As for the siu mai, the pork was "wat", which means there was a buttery tenderness to it while still retaining a rebound texture.  Seasoning was mild, but the balance between sweet and savoury was on point.  Also, there was not overly porky flavour to be found, which was a good thing.

In addition to the classic aforementioned dumplings, we had some of their specialty version including the Scallop Dumpling and Tomato, Egg & Shrimp Dumpling.  With a squid ink outer wrapper, the scallop dumpling was good with the same shrimp filling as the ha gau while topped with a scallop.  The scallop was still buttery  while the dumpling skin was chewy, but in a good way.  As for the other dumpling, it was whimsical as it did look like a tomato.  The dumpling skin had appealing elasticity like the ha gau while the filling had the same qualities as the other shrimp filling but with egg and a touch of tomato flavour.

Back to a usual dim sum dish, we had the BBQ Pork Buns.  These were also textbook with a fluffy steamed bun that was lightly sweet.  Inside, the BBQ pork filling was quite lean and mixed with a sweet and savoury glaze.  Not that we were expecting anything other than "okay", the Xiao Long Bao were exactly that.  Cantonese dim sum is not known for great Shanghainese dishes, and the XLBs were no different.  The skin was semi-thick but not dense.  Inside, the pork filling was tender with a decent amount of soup.  It was mostly one-note though.

Continuing with the usual dim sum offerings, we ordered the Beef Meatballs as well as the Steamed Pork Spareibs with black garlic.  A little on the firmer side, the beef meatballs were still bouncy and tender.  There was a balanced amount of greens that it didn't dominate the flavour profile.  As for the spareribs, they were in large meaty pieces that contained very little fat and cartilage.  Meat had a nice rebound while still maintaining its texture.  Seasoning was on point with hits of saltines, garlickiness and slight spice, however, I didn't get much in the way of black garlic.

Of course I had to get my usual fill of offal in the form of Chicken Feet and Steamed Spicy Beef Tripe.  Both of these were also good where the chicken feet were plump and featured soft cartilage and fat underneath the delicate skin.  It was full-flavoured with garlic and saltiness.  As for the tripe, it was also garlicky with some spice.  The slices of tripe were cooked until tender while still having that classic soft chewiness.

If you have seen in my previous dim sum posts, it is pretty obvious that the Bean Curd Skin Roll is one of my favs.  This one here was also delicious with tender bean curd skin that had a light chew to it.  Inside, the pork filling was tender and moist with some amount of veg.  Now on the other hand, Viv's favourite dim sum item is the Deep Fried Eggplant with shrimp paste.  This was also good but we wished there was more shrimp paste (as you can see in the picture there wasn't much of it).  The eggplant was delicate, but not overdone while the shrimp paste was sweet and bouncy.  We also wished there was more black bean sauce too.

Not sure what they were getting at with the BBQ Pork Pastries, but I think they were jellyfish?  Whatever the case, they were good though with a flaky and buttery puff pastry filled with lean BBQ pork.  It was a bit sweet, but not overly so.  As for the Shrimp Spring Rolls, they were also textbook.  The outer wrapper was golden brown and crispy.  None too greasy either.  The shrimp filling was sweet and had a buttery snap.

We couldn't have dim sum without a Rice Noodle Roll of some sort, so we got the beef version.  Not trying to sound like a broken record (hey, these are back!), but this was good.  The rice noodle was soft with a nice elasticity while the beef filling was tender.  One of our family favourites is the XO Daikon Radish Cake.  I thought this was the weakest of the dishes we'd had in the meal.  The cubes were a bit too large, but the texture was soft.  There was not enough XO and hence, the flavours were muted and not very impactful.

One of my son's favourite things to eat is beef brisket, so we had to get the Beef Brisket with daikon.  In reality, this was beef finger meat (which is the meat in between the beef ribs).  The meat was tender while still retaining a meatiness.  The broth was super light and this dish was very subtle in flavour.  We also got another one of his favs in the Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Rice Wrap) and this one was good.  It had some wild rice in it for texture and the amount of pork, dried shrimp and sausage was enough to make every bite meaty and flavourful.

To end things off on the savoury part of the meal, we had the House Special Crispy Noodles.  This was a good portion of fried noodles topped with a good mix of properly cooked seafood, meats and yau choy.  Loved the large scallops!  Also, the sauce had the right thickness while adequately seasoned.  Oh, and we can't forget about the Seafood Congee (that I mentioned earlier).  It was a bit homestyle in terms of thickness and appearance.  The flavours were a bit mild, but the side of peanuts, green onion and pickled mustard greens helped with that, as well as the white pepper.  There was a good amount of quality pieces of seafood that were prepared properly.

Onto dessert, we went for some whimsical items including the Lychee & Mango Rabbit.  The attention to detail with the colours made this appealing.  The gelatin was firm, but delicate enough that it wasn't dense.  Nice combination of aromatic lychee sweetness and mango flavours.  The Steamed Salted Egg Lava Buns came out with an "Hello Kitty" themed design.  Also cute and ultimately well-executed too.  Beyond the fluffy bun, the lava was runny, sweet, nutty and aromatic.

The best dessert was the Passion Fruit Mousse made to look like the actual fruit.  It was tangy and sweet with a lot of impact.  Texturally, it was a bit frozen, but I liked it.  Overall, the dim sum service at Grand Neptune was really good and almost worth the extra cost.  I say "almost" because it cost me a pretty penny to eat there and we didn't even order anything outrageous.  Hence, if money is no object to you, Grand Neptune should be on your list for higher-end dim sum spots in the GVRD.

The Good:

- On point dishes

- Decent service

- Nice dining space and also free parking in the casino lot

The Bad:

- On the higher end of pricing for dim sum in the GVRD

Baan Lao (Afternoon Tea Thai Experience)

One of the more deluxe dining experiences in town can be found in the village of Steveston.  Baan Lao, with its renowned service and beautiful location, offers up a unforgettable fine dining experience that would be Michelin-star if it were located in Vancouver instead of Richmond (local tourism board builds partnerships so that they receive Michelin-rated restaurants).  Of course this kind of experience doesn't come cheap, but for now, one can have a taste of Baan Lao at a lower price point.  They have added a high tea service for $95.00 per person.  What better way to enjoy the sights and sounds of Steveston along the riverfront than dining on carefully-crafted bites in a beautiful space?

Well, Jackie and I were invited to experience this complete with the Gong Fu Cha pairings curated by TAC-certified tea sommelier.  But before we got to any teas or even the food, we were served the classic Lemon Grass Pandan Elixir.  I've had this a few times before here and it is supposed to be a palette-activator.  However, just looking at the menu and the promise of intricate little morsels, it was appetizing enough!  This was lightly sweet and fragrant while beautifully cold.

Off to the first course, we were served a trio of bites including Khao Kriap Pak Mo (stir-fried organic chicken breast with steam rice paper dumpling), Yum Salmon Fu (Thai crispy wild sockeye salmon salad in crispy golden pastry) and Kuai Tiao Lui Suan (rice noodle butterfly paper salad roll with Thai herbal sauce).  I've been always impressed with Chef Nutcha's attention to detail and the use of vibrant colours.  These were too beautiful to eat!  My favourite of the bunch was the dumpling as the wrapper was soft and glutinous.  Inside, the chicken was layered with flavour from the caramelization of the stir-fry as well as the intense sweetness of the palm sugar.  The crispy edible vessel for the salmon was crispy and light giving way to the different textures and flavours of the salad.  Definitely aromatic with sweetness and some tanginess.  Lastly, the salad roll was bright and full or crunch from the vegetables.  Definitely could taste the herbs.  All of this was paired with Chiran Fukamushi Sench Green Tea.  I found this both subtle yet impactful at the same time.  It didn't take away from what I was eating though.

Next course consisted of many different items that were even more stunning than the previous trio.  They included Thung Thong Nuea Kwai (stir fried water buffalo money bag), Khao Chi Nuea Yang (coconut sticky rice with marinated beef tenderloin with tomato Thai chili sauce), Thot Man Kung (crispy mangrove prawn cake), Tao Hu Thot (deep fried organic soft tofu and wild seaweed caviar) and Gai Sa Tay (homemade brioche and grilled yellow curry organic chicken breast).  I know it is an easy thing just to say, "it was all delicious", but really it was.  I've had the money bags before and believe me, beyond the crispy exterior wonton shell, the meat in the middle was sweet and flavourful.  Beef tenderloin was tender and was complimented well by the spicy tang and it sat atop fried sticky rice.  This was a study in textural contrast with crunchy and chewy.  Oh that soft tofu was so easy to eat and delicate.  Finally, the curry chicken mouse atop brioche was an aromatic and textural delight.  All of this was paired with Yiwu 2006 Shu Pu’er Tea that was both earthy and a bit sweet.

Our last course featured Kai Tao Phueak Sang Kha Ya Bai Toei (deep fried taro ball with pandan coconut custard), Phon La Mai Kae Sa Lak (hand carved seasonal fruit), Luuk Choop (mung bean paste coated with agar) and Khao Niao Ma Muang (sweet mango with coconut milk sticky rice).  Oh that taro ball was was crispy, then chewy while revealing a sweet custard inside.  It was aromatic and tasty.  The mango sticky rice was carefully-prepared and once I took a bite, this definitely showed.  The rice was chewy, yet soft while aromatic and lightly sweet.  The ripe mango was expertly carved and intensely sweet.  This was paired with Dong Ding Oolong which was rather smooth and aromatic.

Ending off our meal, we were served the Tropical Sunset, Flavoured Green and Black Tea Blend which also featured flower petals.  Hence, it was predictably floral with fruitiness.  Overall, the afternoon tea was a great experience and all of the bites were carefully constructed in terms of appearance and taste.  Teas were a good match and definitely a cut above "typical" teas.  Service was attentive as expected, but a little less polished than the dinner service (possibly less experienced-staff for the afternoon).

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

The Good:
- Stunning setting and dining space
- Carefully curated food and teas
- Attentive service

The Bad:
- It is afternoon tea, so don't expect to be stuffed, but for bigger appetites, it might not be enough
- Service was good, but less polished than the dinner service

Spelt

Spelt has been on my wish list for quite some time.  After I was tipped off by a friend, I had my eyes on this hidden little gem in the commune of Tourrettes-sur-Loup to the north of Nice.  The place doesn't have a Michelin star, but really, it should have one.  They only serve a tasting menu and considering how expensive things are, especially in France, it is reasonably-priced at 85 Euros.  I actually got in at 75 Euros, but the price has gone up since (like everywhere else).

So to start, we were presented with selection of small bites including Parmesan Gourgeres, Lemon Butter Radish, Marinated Tuna and Cheese & Sardine Sable.  The savoury choux pastry was on point with an airiness and plenty of pungent parmesan.  Whimsically plated, the radish were fresh and crunch while coated in a tangy lemon butter.  Presented on a tapioca crisp, the marinated tuna was accompanied by avocado and pickled onion.  It was a clean bite with balancing flavours.  Lastly, the sardine sable featured little cookie crisps sandwiching a briny sardine mousse.  Good textural contrast and focused flavour.

Next, we were served the Confit Tomato in tomato water.  On the side we were served a texturally wonderful tomato brioche. That tomato water was intense with the natural and concentrated flavour of tomato.  It was sweet in a tomato way (if that makes sense). To complete the dish, we found goat cheese, balsamic, EVOO, basil and granité of tomato. This resulted in layers of flavour that included more tomato, but also tanginess and aromatics. Right after, we were served a palate cleanser on a wooden spoon.

Not looking very interesting, we had the Potato covered with haddock cream, peanut crunch and lemon zest butter.  This seemingly simple offering was actually quite delcious.  First of all, the tender potato was the main part of the dish, but the root vegetable was flavoured with a fish cream that was subtle and slightly sweet.  Nice role-reversal here.  To add some texture to the dish, it was smartly topped with an aromatic peanut crunch.

One of their signature dishes is the Spelt Lobster Risotto made with, well spelt!  The restaurant is named after this grain which is similar to wheat.  With the husk on, the spelt maintained a firm chewy texture.  It had a nutty almost fruity flavour that took a seat to the dominant creamy lobster essence.  This was such an aromatic dish that was full of umaminess.  The complex marriage between the spelt and lobster bisque meant this was both a textural and taste experience.

Moving along, we had the Fish Tartare with miso seaweed sauce, lemon, herbs and avocado.  In reference to the meal progression, this was a nice departure from the richness of the risotto.  The sauce was an umami bomb with the fermented richness of the miso and the taste of the sea from the seaweed.  Naturally, the addition of lemon added the necessary acidity that helped keep things bright.  The fish itself was fresh, buttery soft and was not overwhelmed by any of the ingredients.

Keeping with the theme of fish, we had the Turbot with eggplant puree, balsamic, capers and fried garlic in a sauce of tomatoes and pickled shallots.  The piece of turbot couldn't have been prepared any more expertly.  It was soft and flaky bordering on buttery.  There was a light crispy sear that also yielded enough seasoning.  However, the combination of tomatoes and creamy eggplant made for a cross between bright and tangy with smooth and mild.  Nicely balanced dish.

So in between the turbot and the Smoked Lamb Rack, we had some fritters and zucchini bites.  I couldn't tell you much about them because I didn't take notes on it!  But I can tell you that the lamb was excellent.  It was smoked with lemon & thyme where I could definitely taste the earthiness.  The lamb itself was medium and succulent.  It was served with a zucchini puree, seared zucchini and almond cream.

Onto the first of two desserts, we were asked to walk over to a "lemon tree" where we could choose our own Kalamansi Dessert shaped like a lemon.  Looking rather inconspicuous, the thing was a tangy and sweet flavour bomb.  I've had something similar before and this one was even better.  Beyond the white chocolate shell, the creamy filling was best to be eaten in a few bites as it was impactful.

Our last 2 items consisted of a Chocolate Tart as well as some Mini-Madeleines.  With the tart, we found several layers of chocolate in terms of texture and flavour.  The chocolate tart shell was firm with a background bitterness.  Inside, the chocolate was not too sweet while the chocolate sauce was silky and also semi-sweet.   As you can see, the food at Spelt is next-level and worthy of much more than they are charging.  Combine it with stellar service and a charming location in Tourrettes-sur-Loup, it is a must visit if you are ever in Côte d'Azur.

The Good:

- Outstanding food that is made with precision

- Thoughtful dishes

- Well-priced

The Bad:

- Unless you have a car, not the easiest place to visit if you are not from the area

- When you get there, parking is limited

Gotham

Although I've been to Gotham a few times since my last blog post, I haven't actually been enthusiastic enough to blog about it again.  It isn't as if the food hasn't been good.  Rather, it has been consistently great along with the service.  This time around, I thought that I needed to do an updated post about one of Vancouver's premier steakhouses.  I've actually merged 2 visits into this one post just to have a bit more content.

So a visit to Gotham is not complete without their Cheese Bread.  I know, I know, it should really be a steak, but beyond that, the bread is fantastic.  For both meals, it was served hot with a mess of ooey gooey cheese atop heavily buttered bread.  The bottom was lightly crispy while the cheese was aromatic and provided a delicious saltiness.  Yes, this was not diet food, but worth all the calories.  Just commit to it and worry about it later!

Although not the biggest Crab Cake we've ever seen, the one here at Gotham was fantastic.  It was completely filled with fluffy crab with very little filler.  There was enough mayo and moisture to keep things delicate and not dry.  It was lightly coated with breading that was browned up nicely on both sides.  Yes, this was prepared properly pan-fried, not deep-fried.  Underneath, the pickled cucumbers added some acidity while the jalapeno tartar sauce was creamy with a slight kick.

Not normally on the regular menu, the Lobster Bisque was a feature for one of our meals and duh, we had to get it!  This was everything a lobster bisque should be with a rich silky texture that was full of depth and intense lobster aroma.  In addition, we could also taste the remnants of brandy that had been cooked down properly.  There was equals parts sweetness and saltiness in addition to the umaminess.  Some crème fraîche added more creaminess to the bisque.

Onto the steaks, our first visit was all about the 32oz Bone-In Ribeye prepared medium-rare.  This was one large steak that was thick cut and prepared perfectly.  There was an appealing char on the outside that also has some smokiness.  The steak was well-salted, hence it ate well on its own.  The meat was super tender and juicy where the meat flavour was uniformly apparent with each bite.  The cook on the steak was the same throughout.

For the second meal, we ordered the 20oz Bone-In Ribeye also prepared medium-rare.  Since it was a smaller steak, it was less thick.  Yet, the steak was still uniformly medium-rare, well-rested and buttery tender.  That is pretty impressive for a ribeye.  Once again, it was well-seasoned and also properly charred on the outside.  If I had to compare, I preferred the thicker cut of the 32oz as it was meatier in texture and flavour.  I would recommend you go for that one.

To get some variety and for comparison's sake, we got the 16oz Striploin also prepared medium-rare.  This was a long piece of steak with a smaller end, so that part was more medium.  This steak was a little less tender than the ribeye and of course, due to having less fat, it was not as meaty tasting.  That didn't mean it didn't taste good though as it was salted well and the char was even on both sides.  Again, it was well-rested with not pools of juices on the plate.

For our sides, we got the French Fries both times and I have to admit that they are only serviceable.  Although fried to golden brown, the fries were not that crunchy for either meal.  Now that wasn't a problem for the Portobello Mushroom Fries though.  Coated with breading, these were crunchy in both meals and juicy on the inside.  A pretty impressive feat since mushrooms release a lot of moisture.  The side of creamy ranch dip went well with these fries.

As for some veggies, we had the Roasted Broccoli with cheese sauce and the Creamed Corn.  Loved the texture of the broccoli as the florets were firm but cooked through.  Nice charred portions that were smoky and flavourful.  Cheese sauce was mild-tasting.  The creamed corn was fantastic with intensely sweet niblets that were tender but not mushy.  The cream was not that thick, but that was a good thing as the dish was not heavy.

For dessert, had the Old Fashioned Chocolate Brownie with ice cream and the Key Lime Pie.  The brownie was rich and chocolatey with walnuts.  It was sweet, but not overly so.  The key lime pie was my favourite where it was super tangy with a balancing sweetness.  The condensed milk added a rich creaminess to the pie filling where it was thick, but not heavy.  The crust was buttery while firm in texture.  So another delicious meal at Gotham.  Sure, it ain't cheap to eat here, but I've never been disappointed by their food.  I personally like Elisa more, but you can't go wrong with Gotham either.

The Good:
- Beautifully cooked steaks
- Excellent service
- That cheese bread!

The Bad:
- Of course it is expensive
- The fries are a bit disappointing