Ju Contempory Cuisine (New Menu)

The original menu at Ju when it first opened was quite ambitious due to the many options of canapes, appetizers, entrees and desserts.  Although most of the dishes were delicious, there was a lack of focus.  Now hitting its stride, they have streamlined the menu so that it prominently features a tasting menu for $88.00 (which is a steal).  To compliment this, there are a select few a la carte dishes available.  This post will feature the other dishes we had in addition to the tasting menu (featured in the previous blog post).

One of the most interesting items was the Teriyaki Chicken.  Yes really.  It was an oven-roasted chicken leg that was super tender and juicy.  The teriyaki was quite balanced with sweet, savoury and tanginess.  To compliment this, there was a mildly spice serrano aioli.  To provide a bit more acidity and bite, we had some pickled ginger.  Lastly, some katsuobushi (or bonito flakes) provided the usual combination of salty umaminess.

Something a bit more conventional but with a twist, we had the Gochujang Yook Hwei.  This was essentially a beef tartare but with the quintessential Korean condiment in the sweet & spicy gochujang.  The CAB was soft and tender while the use of gochujang showed restraint.  That ensured that the meat flavours were still present and the subtle sweetness of the Asian pear was noticeable.  The seaweed on the side served as a vessel for the beef.  However, I would've personally liked some tapioca chips for more crunch.

Looking like merely a slaw of some sort, the Creamy Green was actually quite good.  Sure, it wasn't anything complex or super amazing, but at the same time, very welcomed.  Something so fresh, crunchy and light acted like a palate cleanser and also made us feel just a bit healthier.  It was comprised of shredded cabbage and field greens dressed in a creamy coconut dressing.  Naturally, it was aromatic and sweet, but there was a balancing tanginess as well. 

Trying to stay with the Korean influence on the menu, the Miso Jjajang-Myun was their take on the classic dish.  Rather than a black bean sauce, we found a fermented soybean, which gave similar salty richness, but in a more subtle manner.  Naturally, this dish would be incomplete without the onion and they were sweet and well, oniony.  There was also tender zucchini, cabbage and mushrooms which added both texture and a bit of extra earthy sweetness.  Noodles were perfectly al dente.

Off to another noodle, the Vongole Kal-Guksu was another interpretation of the Korean dish.  I very much enjoyed this as the knife cut noodles had so much bite and rebound.  Very nice mouth feel and chew.  The ample clams afforded sweetness and a bit of brininess.  The addition of garlic and shallots upped the aromatics and overall flavour profile.  Some zucchini provided soft textures and just a tiniest bit of bitterness.  So unassuming, but delicious.

For reference only, I will refer to a previous time I visited Ju and talk about another item that is still currently on the menu.  It is the Poached Oyster with roasted garlic mushroom espuma, rosemary oil and togarashi crunch.  This is particularly great for people who don't eat raw oysters.  However, it was poached just enough, so that all of the butteriness and brininess was still present.  It was not obscured since the espuma was subtle.  Loved the crunch on top.

They also have an array of unique cocktails including the Rose-Merry, Maple Cinnamon, Snowy Battle Field and Rice Punch.  Despite my love for fruity drinks, my favourite of the bunch was the Maple Cinnamon with its milky "eggnog" like vibes.  Just sweet enough and Fall-tasting.  With the rosemary being torched, there was some definite woodsy aroma going around.  But then, the actual cocktail was fruity with pomegranate and vodka.  The Rice Punch had some vodka and sik-hye (which is a sweet rice drink), hence this was lightly sweet and plenty nutty from the rice.  Lastly, the Snowy Battle Field consisted of Calpico, gin, vodka and red wine.  This looked quite Halloween-like, but was went down easy due to the addition of sweet and tangy Calpico.  There is one more item on the menu that I didn't feature, which is the Galbi.  However, it is in the tasting menu, so you can refer to it in the previous post.  I would say that these items were good, but the tasting menu is still the best bet.  You get all of the highlights and it is only $88.00.

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

The Good:

- Overall tasty

- Reasonably-priced

- Unique cocktails

The Bad:

- Theses dishes can supplement your meal, but the highlight is the tasting menu

- Noodles may need more colour

Ju Contemporary Cuisine (Tasting Menu)

I've already done a post about Ju when they first opened up shop.  They featured an ambitious menu that focused mainly on elevated Korean Westcoast fusion.  I really enjoyed the dishes, especially some of the outside-the-box offerings such as the Vegan Bibimbap.  Well, they have streamlined the menu and are now offering a Chef's Tasting Menu for only $88.00!  Considering its downtown location, quality of food and nice dining room, that is a steal.  We dropped by to try that tasting menu as well as some of their new dishes.

Let's get right to the tasting menu first starting with the Jook.  Yes, as the name implies, this was a rice porridge with earthy espuma and mushroom.  If you can imagine, this wasn't exactly the rice porridge we would find at home (otherwise, why would you be eating here?).  It was much thicker and creamier with the nutty essence of the rice as well as the umaminess of the espuma.  The slices of mushroom on top gave off a natural woodsiness due to the rawness of the preparation.

So the next course was something called Tofu Mochi.  However, it really wasn't mochi due to the absence of glutinous rice.  Rather, this was made with arrowroot and hence, the texture was a bit gummy and sticky.  Personally, I loved it as the mouth feel was something I am familiar with.  However, for some, it might seem too viscous.  In terms of flavour, it was sitting in a dashi broth that was clean, a bit briny and sweet.  Very subtle, but again, I enjoyed it.

Somewhat on the same textural path, we had the Botan Ebi Chawanmushi.  This was super silky and had the subtle sweetness of the dashi broth.  No excess moisture was to be found which meant it was just pure soft custardy egg.  A little herb oil added some brightness as well as a beautiful colour contrast.  On top, we found the buttery sweet ebi that had an ever-so-light crunch.  It was a naturally sweet compliment to the egg.  Also, some togarashi crunch provided the needed texture to the dish.

Moving along, we had the Cured Salmon with a green mandarin sauce served table side.  This was a fairly straightforward dish with the salmon being buttery soft with just a touch of chew.  It was lightly cured, so the sweetness of the salmon still stood out.  The green mandarin sauce had a good viscosity and was a bit sweet and tangy with some background herbal notes.  It was a nice compliment to the salmon.  There was some pickled veggies and soy gel on the side to add even more acidity, some crunch and some saltiness.

If the next dish looks eerily similar to Cantonese shrimp toast, you are not far off.  The one you see here is the Bulgogi Menbow-Yuk which is the Korean version, but with CAB beef instead.  This was quite good with a crunchy seedy bread that had lots of body and nuttiness.  Inside, the bits of Wagyu were buttery and fatty.  Like most versions of this dish, the bread soaked up some oil.  In this case, it wasn't super soaked though.  Some mustard oroshi helped cut some of that greasiness though.

Sure, the next dish looked rather pale, but ultimately, it was super delicious.  The delicately steamed Black Cod was draped with a miso cream and topped with Northern Divine sturgeon caviar.  Now, you might think steamed fish wouldn't be that interesting right?  Well you would be wrong as this was one of my favourite courses.  The fish was buttery and flaky while seasoned enough that the natural sweetness of the fish still stood out.  That miso cream had all of the good fermented things about miso and provided a rich, yet subtle umaminess.  Of course the caviar didn't hurt with briny pops of saltiness.

Our last savoury course was something that I absolutely loved.  It was their signature Galbi with perilla chimichurri, braised daikon and Ju jus.  The slice of Certified Angus Beef short rib melted in my mouth with the fatty richness that was also gelatinous.  It had such rich beefiness that nothing else was really needed.  Well, it didn't hurt that we found some jus and a bright chimichurri to compliment.  On the side, the daikon was tender and was penetrated by the braising juices.

The dessert that we were served was the Chocolate that featured a Belgian milk chocolate half-sphere with black sesame cake, vanilla coffee espuma and dalgona crumb.  I've had this before and it was just as good as I had remembered.  This ate very light where the chocolate mousse was creamy and just sweet enough.  The cake was nutty and aromatic while the crumb was crunchy and sweet.  Getting everything into one bite was the key to eating this.  We also had some other of their a la carte dishes and I will feature them in another post (along with the cocktails).  For now, I will say that this tasting menu is an absolute steal for $88.00.  Food is great and there are enough courses.  I recommend that you go give it a try!

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

The Good:
- Reasonable pricing
- Well-prepared eats
- Enough courses

The Bad:
- The tofu mochi may not be everyone's cup of tea

 

Elem

The fine dining scene in Vancouver is ever-changing and slowly catching up to the rest of the world.  You can't really compare with places that have lower operating costs, so in Vancouver, it is always a challenge to invest so much in decor.  One of the newest spots, Elem on Main, takes you to New York with its modern, yet simple design.  Top Chef alum Chef Vish Mayekar is at the helm and offers up a global menu that incorporates sustainability.  My visit here was only 5 days into their full operations, so keep that in mind when reading this blog post.

Now food is one thing, but their cocktail program run by Beverage Director Winnie Sun receives equal billing at Elem with a beautiful and spacious bar that conveniently faces the kitchen from the other side of the restaurant.  There are 4 distinct sections to the restaurant that represent the elements including Earth, Water, Air and Fire.  They have a commitment to no-waste as all the trimmings go into the mother stock and any other scraps goes into fermentation. Even the copper that frames the kitchen will change organically over time.  

We began out meal with some Prosecco with elderflower, peppercorn and cardamom.  This was served with a side of Winnie's Szechuan Peanuts.  As for our first round of cocktails, we had the Best Tacos Pepe and Butternut Squash first.  Topped with candy lego bricks, the BTP was smooth with an almost vanilla finish (from the evaporated & condensed milk).  As for the second cocktail, it was a take on an old-fashioned with smokiness and the mysterious woodsiness of the shiitake mushrooms.

To start our dinner, we had the Bread & Butter featuring brioche Parker rolls with truffle honey butter.  Elevating this even further was the addition of fresh shaved black truffles.  These buns were soft and fluffy but still had a bit of density.  The truffle was impactful while not being overwhelming.  We went for 2 more cocktails during this time in the Mango Rasmalai and Mumbai Biryani.  Wow, that mango rasmalai was so delicious.  I could've easily downed this in gulp.  By virtue of it being gin-based, it was a bit light to begin with and with the addition of fresh mango, cardamom and clarified saffron milk, it went down real easy.  Some saffron white chocolate paint on the side provided some sweet aromatics.  As for the Mumbai biryani, this really did drink like a meal.  Furthermore, the spiced tequila made this a stronger drink.  This consisted of lacto-fermented grape, kewra, rosewater, salted ghee-caramel foam and fried onion.  If you can imagine, this made for a spice-laced concoction that had some real savoury elements.

Taking elements of Indian cuisine with the classic Behl Puri, we find the Yellowfin Tuna Behl served with semolina crackers.  This really did have all of the elements of the dish with cilantro mint chutney, puffed rice, onions and tomato.  However with the addition of tuna and avocado, it made the whole thing more hearty and gave it some ceviche vibes.  In fact, the whole thing was possibly too acidic for some (okay for me personally), which totally made for a bright and ceviche-type experience, especially with the light and crispy crackers.

Loaded with fluffy crab on top, the Dungeness Crab Toast was a real hit.  It sat in a lemongrass ginger foam that had not only SE Asian aromatics, the essence of crab shells was prominent.  The well-toasted milk bread had enough integrity to stand up to the sauce, yet at the same time, not be too firm that it would overwhelm the delicate texture of the crab meat.  About that crab, it was naturally sweet and barely cooked through.  The contrast in textures between the crab and toast was perfect.

One of our favourite dishes was the Grilled Lamb Skewers in a medjool date glaze.  The caramelization and char were evident visually and totally confirmed tastewise.  The flavours were super intense with a nutty sweetness.  The lamb belly was super fatty and totally melted in our mouths.  As gamy as lamb can be, especially with so much fat, this was quite mild due to the perfect char and seasoning. The sweetness was balanced off well by the ginger labneh underneath and the pickles on top.  The crunch from the buckwheat added the necessary texture as well.

The hits kept coming with the beautifully-plated Squash Caramelle.  These precious little pasta pockets shaped like candy wrappers featured the ideal texture for freshly-made pasta.  It was firm and chewy while still giving way to the soft and sweet squash filling.  Love the fall flavours including the background nutmeg.  The miso buerre blanc was rich and smooth while not being too heavy.  It had the classic fermented saltiness of miso complimented by the sweetness of the squash.  We also found chanterelles and pumpkin seeds finishing off the dish.

The other pasta on the menu was equally fantastic in the Rabbit and Chestnut Cavatelli.  First and foremost, the pasta was next level (just like the previous dish) where it had a firm resistance upon first chew, but then transitioned to a pleasant denseness inside.  The ridges on the pasta held the white sauce well and we could taste the sweetness of the rabbit.  Normally, the lean meat can be dry, but it wasn't the case here.  So tender and well-incorporated into the sauce.  Little nuggets of chestnut and thin slices of matsutake mushrooms added texture and mushroominess to the dish.  To top it off, aged toma added nuttiness and tang to the pasta.

As if the pastas weren't blowing us away already, but the Honey Mussels Curry was so on point.  First of all, the use of honey mussels was already a bonus as they are some of the most plump mussels available.  Unlike Kiwi mussels, honey mussels are delicate and more flavourful.  This was further enhanced by the tomato-based curry which was spiked by the tanginess of tamarind and sweetness from all the cooked down onions.  The addition of crispy rice balls provided not only texture, it also helped soak up the delicious curry.

Probably the best dish we had all night was the Duck Fried Rice.  The aroma and umaminess emanating from this dish was intoxicating.  We had the duck fat really coming through with a luxurious silkiness while the caramelization of the rice added to the nuttiness already present.  Some chili crunch added texture and spice while the house-made kimchi provided acidity and another layer of spice.  To top it off literally and figuratively, we found fresh mint and cilantro to give the dish some brightness. 

We finally made it to a vegetable dish in the Barbecued Carrots with mandarin kosho, smoked yogurt and bubu arare.  I found this dish to be just alright.  The carrots were a bit too firm but not hard.  There was a natural sweetness to them which was contrasted by the sourness of the kosho.  Underneath, the smoked yogurt was pleasant and not overwhelming.  The addition of rice crackers provided that crunch that was needed in the dish.

Onto more cocktails, we had Chef's Negroni and Duck Fried Rice.  Consisting of dark chocolate gin, spent mulberry campari, Stoney Paradise tomato vine vermouth and applewood + cedar smoke, this was rich and smoky.  Definitely a full-bodied drink with lots of strong flavours.  As for the duck fried rice, it was mirroring the menu dish in some ways.  With duck fat washed gin, we could definitely get the essence of duck, while the kimchi maraschino provided a tangy sweet spice. The rice milk gave a lightly milky nuttiness and the thyme provided some earthiness.   Something a bit more refreshing, the Tokyo featured matcha vodka, banana, shiro shoyu, tonic water and a side of yuzu mochi.  The brightness of the tonic water hit me first then the bitterness of the matcha vodka next.  Mid drink, I got the essence of real banana while the shiro shoyu came at the end in the mildest manner.

Onto the showstopper main dish in the Loong Kong Chicken with a maple espresso glaze and farm side vegetables.  This free-range chicken with everything attached (including the foot) was lean and appealingly chewy.  It was still moist and tender though with properly rendered skin.  The chicken was well-seasoned with the glaze being sweet and savoury with a hint of bitterness.  The buttery sunchoke puree added some moisture and an extra layer of nuttiness to the dish.  The side of veggies were bordering on salty, but was just right adding more flavour to the dish.

So dining with Mijune means we have to get all of the desserts...  Yes we did...  The first was the Banana Ice Cream cradled in a mochi donut with buckwheat granola and toffee sauce.  Loved the creaminess of the ice cream and the aromatics of real banana.  The donut was perfect with a crunchy exterior and a chewy interior.  Next, the Masala Chai Kulfi was presented as a popsicle.  I definitely got the earthy spices combined with the black tea as well as the sweetness.  This was accented by the some crunchy and sweet pistachio brittle as well as the creamy and light brioche Chantilly.  Some spruce oil finished the dish adding a bright woodiness.

Our last 2 desserts consisted of the Japanese Pudding and the Sweet Potato Churro.  Oh that pudding was so perfect.  Super smooth and creamy with a consistent texture.  It was lightly sweet with burnt caramel notes.  A little addition of Vecchio Amaro tableside provided some bitter-sweetness.  Lastly, the churro was crispy and intensely sweet.  It was topped with some sticky quince marmalade and cereal crumb.  The miso vanilla ice cream afforded some rich salty sweetness.

We ended off with one more cocktail in the Build Your Own Chai featuring Elem chai liqueur and tea biscuit milk.  We could adjust the mix to our own preference and that we did with more milk!  This was aromatic and creamy with a touch of booziness.  Nice finish to our dinner.  In fact, we actually ended off the meal with some Dark Chocolates.  Oh and what a meal it was!  The food was so on point and especially impressive since this was only the 5th day of operation!   Such a beautiful room (or rooms) with Chef Vish Mayekar's finely crafted global cuisine complimented by inventive cocktails by Winnie Sun.  I'm planning to come back.  In fact, I've got reservations already!

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

The Good:

- Genuinely delicious food

- Stunning room

- Such creative cocktails

The Bad:

- Cocktails and food are competing against each other sometimes

Roseto Bistro

Now here is an interesting blog post.  It is about Roseto Bistro located in PoCo.  Now that doesn't make it particularly strange or unusual.  However, if you tried to search it on Google, it wasn't showing up for the longest time.  In fact, you'd find Hearthstone Pizza as a result.  You see, the reason for this is that Roseto Bistro replaces Hearthstone Pizza, but still has some of the K-pizza options leftover from the 2nd iteration of Hearthstone Pizza.  Okay, if you are confused, I don't blame you.  Currently, Roseto Bistro offers up legit Italian eats prepared by a chef who has worked for years in Italy, but also has some Korean influences in the pizza and the pastas.  In fact, RoSeTo represents Rome, Seoul and Tokyo.  The fusion between all 3 cuisines are evident in the menu.

I think they should add Athens as well since we started with the Calamari Fritti.  Sure, this dish can be every bit Italian as it is Greek.  However, let's just say there are influences.  We found this dish to be prepared quite well with tender pieces of squid that also retained a pleasant chewiness.  The light and crispy batter was properly seasoned where the tzatziki on the side wasn't completely necessary.  However, for me, I always like to dip my calamari into it.  This was a good start to our meal.

Next, we moved onto some pizzas, 2 of which were very similar.  What you see in the picture is the Capricciosa.  We also had the Proscuitto e Funghi which looked exactly like the Capricciosa except without the salsiccia, bacon and artichoke.  Both featured a uniformly crispy crust that was nicely browned, but could've been a bit more charred.  The crust was properly seasoned while the tomato sauce was balanced.  Good amount of toppings and the proscuitto added salty meatiness.  Both featured arugula on top.

Onto the pastas, the fusion aspect of the menu really showed.  This was particularly true with the Kimchi Fettuccine with bacon and mushroom.  I quite enjoyed the layers of flavours in this dish where the kimchi offered up mild spiciness along with tanginess and sweetness.  The addition of cream toned down the spiciness but also made the pasta a bit heavy.  The fettuccine itself was house-made and cooked until al dente.  The addition of bacon added salty meatiness and the mushrooms added some pops of moisture and woodsiness.

On the topic of mushrooms, we had a new menu item in the Mushroom Pasta.  It consisted of firmly al dente spaghetti with a good amount of mushrooms.  This had a certain Japanese flair to it with the addition of butter and soy.  This was full of umamainess as well as the classic Asian flavour to the pasta.  This also sported a good amount of olives and capers which totally amped the overall flavour profile.  There was more saltiness (in a good way) and tanginess to provide impact. 

For our non-pasta dish, we had the Cotoletta di Maiale.  This featured a pork cutlet breaded and fried until super crispy.  The meat itself was tender and moist.  However, the best part of this dish was the Japanese demi sauce.  It was super savoury with sweetness and a touch of tanginess.  It was super addictive and honestly, I could put that on anything and it would taste good.  This came with some perfectly cooked veggies and nicely seared gnocchi.  They were firm, but soft enough to be appealing.

For dessert, we had the Frittelle tossed in sugar.  These little donuts were very soft and fluffy while the outside was crispy.  They were a touch greasy though.  I enjoyed the mild flavours and the slight crunch from the granulated sugar.  Overall, the food at Roseto is quite good.  The pasta is freshly made and totally legit.  The incorporation of Asian influences is seamless and reasonably-priced.  Totally loved the pork cutlet where it is a crazy good value at $22.00.  If you are needing to eat out as a family in the area and were going to spend chain restaurant money anyways, go check out Roseto Bistro.   You will be surprised.

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

The Good:
- Well-prepared eats
- Totally reasonable pricing
- Quality is there with house-made pasta

The Bad:
- Wished the pizza was more charred

The Good Thief

Oh, the Good Thief again???  Hasn't it only been a little over a month?  Well, Mijune was invited to try the place out and seeing that she was wanting me to join her, I just couldn't say no.  Besides, my first visit was pretty good, so I was looking forward in trying the rest of the menu (despite me already ordering a lot of dishes already the first time!).  If I have to remind everyone, the Good Thief is the 2nd restaurant from the owners of Anh & Chi, which is next door.

One of the most impressive things about my initial visit was their vast and unique cocktail menu.  Therefore, we got a few including the Six Inch Yellow, Pom Pom Punch and Phở Dặc Biệt.  I've had the Pom Pom before (so read it in the previous post) while the Six Inch Yellow was something completely different.  Although it was fruity and refreshing like the Pom Pom, it was also more bold due to the Chartreuse and Rye.  To top it off, the spicy foam really provided a kick.  As for the Phở Dặc Biệt, it really did taste like the broth and the usual flavourings, including a star anise finish.  Strangely, they were able to emulate the subtle flavour of rice noodles.  This was a rather savoury and heavy cocktail, where the pickled bean sprouts was definitely needed to provide balance.

Onto the food, we had the Oysters first and despite not looking like much, they were fantastic!  These sunseekers were topped with a coconut chili foam which was super impactful, light and aromatic.  Of course there was a bite to them too, but just enough, so that the sweet brininess of the liquor came through.  We also had the Whelk atop crispy forbidden rice.  This was a study of textures with the tender, yet chewy whelk contrasting with the crunch of the rice.  Even though the rice looked heavy, it was actually soft and airy on the inside.  The combination of sauces as well as the Vietnamese coriander allowed for tangy, sweet and herbaceousness.

Believe it or not, I've not actually had Balut before.  Well, given that they have the quail's egg version on the menu, it was as good as any other time to take the dive.  Besides being firmer, these resembled boiled eggs but just with a bit more egginess and/or gaminess.  Sitting in a spicy tamarind sauce, it did add plenty of impact and lessened the egginess.  To top it all, literally and figuratively, we found rau răm that provided an unmistakable coriander essence as well as a level of mustiness.  Some peanuts added crunch and of course nuttiness. 

To lighten things up a bit, we got the Pomelo & Lotus Root.  It was truly refreshing with the pops of sweetness and bitterness from the pomelo and also the saltines from the crunchy cured lotus root.  With mint and coriander, there was no shortage of herbal notes either.  What brought it all together was the calamansi vinaigrette as it offered up the usual tart citrus flavours.  Perfect to go with our drinks, the Charcoal Skewers featuring lamb and pork were smoky and perfectly grilled.  Due to the char, there was some nuttiness and caramelization.  Some flakes of salt helped bring out the natural meat flavours.  Inside, the meat was tender and juicy.

I think my favourite small plate had to be the Frog Legs in Mẹ’s fish sauce glaze.  Everyone seems to want to do chicken wings in some form of fish sauce caramel these days, but by virtue of using frog legs, this became a very different, yet familiar dish.  Sure, frog legs do resemble chicken but they do taste different.  There is a certain fishiness to them without actually being fishy.  The ones here were mild-tasting while super tender.  Outside, they were crispy and complete glazed.  The intense sweet brininess was addictive and we really couldn't stop eating these!

One featured item that we tried was the Charcoal-Grilled Octopus with kaffir lime and paprika atop jicama, Asian pear and radicchio salad.  Since the octopus was sous-vide first, its texture was tender while still retaining a bit of chew.  The caramelized fish sauce glaze was sweet and briny while completely charred by the grilling.  Hence there was intense smokiness and caramel notes.  The salad underneath was the perfect accompaniment since it added freshness and crunch.

So far, the meal was going swimmingly and those cocktails, so good!  However, the Escargots was the most ordinary of the dishes we had.  It wasn't bad, but just didn't compare well with the rest.  It was prepared like a vol-au-vent with a puff pastry shell.  Well, the menu description was "Bánh Patê Sô" which is a pasty pie, but really, it was a vol-au-vent.  The escargots were prepared with brandy, garlic, chili oil and butter.  This was plenty aromatic, yet somehow, it was a bit underseasoned.  Again, nothing wrong with the dish, just the least impactful.

One dish I was eyeing the last time, but didn't end up ordering, was the Winter Squash.  Fortunately, we got to try it this time and man, it was delicious!  The delicata squash was perfectly roasted where it was sweet and caramelized while not being mushy.  It had the essence of five-spice and completely complimented by the Thai red curry.  The combination of aromatics, spice and creaminess really elevated the dish.  Add in the firm radicchio and we had some textural contrast.

One dish I absolutely loved and wanted to have again was the Oxtail.  They took all the trouble out of eating oxtail by shredding the meat and reforming it with caul fat.  The result was a tender fall apart meat with its usual gelatinous and fatty texture.  The pho demi-glace was so rich and silky with star anise notes.  This time around, the carrots were roasted, which made them more flavourful and texturally-appealing.  The confit daikon was tender while the carrot puree provided creamy earthy sweetness to go with the demi-glace.

Last time, I had ordered the steak, but was indifferent about it.  Well, they have changed it to a AAA Striploin (instead of sliced ribeye) with bone marrow butter, Sauce a la Royale and pho chimichurri.  Prepared perfectly medium-rare, the meat was juicy and well-rested.  The meat was tender with appealing meatiness.  It was well-seasoned while paired well with the chimichurri.  It had the pho herbs going on there with brightness and pungency.  The sauce a la royale was rich and possibly a little over-reduced being a bit salty.

As a treat of sorts, we were served another off-menu item in the Smoked Beef Rib with sweet & sour glaze and palm sugar.  The meat on the bone was like candy being sweet and sticky.  It was super tender while still maintaining a gelatinous meat quality.  Nice smokiness in smell and taste.  On the side, we had the Pomme Frites with Thai green chili aioli.  Unlike the last time, the large frites were uniformly crispy with soft potato inside.  Nice aroma from the fried curry leaves.

Our first dessert was something mysterious in the Forbidden Rice Pudding.  The rice was hidden underneath a coconut yogurt gelee disc.  About that disc, it was a bit too firm for our liking and although aromatic, was somewhat bland.  I loved the rice underneath as it had an al dente chew and some sweetness.  The best part was the toasted rice ice cream as it certainly lived up to its billing.  Aromatic and nutty, the ice cream was also just sweet enough.

The second dessert was something I've had before in the Mung Bean.  If I needed a word to describe this dessert, it would be interesting.  It sat on a base of almondine cake which was moist and quite good.  The mung bean on top was rather heavy and with condensed milk, this ate pretty sweet.  I think this needs have something else in terms of texture to give some contrast.  Overall, this was another great meal at the Good Thief.  I got to try all of the small plates and the majority were excellent.  The cocktails were great just like the previous meal.   I believe the Good Thief should be on anyone's list who want to grab some drinks with some delicious food to go with it.

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

The Good:
- Large cocktail menu that is truly unique
- Great little bites
- Excellent service

The Bad:
- Of course the menu is a work in progress, but things that need tweaks are already changing