Moltaqa Moroccan Restaurant

A few years ago, I had a delicious meal at Moltaqa Moroccan out in Yaletown.  It was just shortly after they received Michelin-Recommended status in the guidebook.   It wasn't for this I wanted to dine there though, it was because I really wanted to try the place after so many years planning to do so.  In general, there aren't many Moroccan restaurants in town. Recently, I was invited for a return visit and I brought Ipanemagirl with me.   

What better way to get a taste of their appies than to get the Moroccan Sampler Platter.  My favourite item had to be the Lentils as they were tender with a pleasant bite.  They were sweet, earthy and aromatic.  Beets were great too with appealing sweetness and earthiness.  They had a brightness to them and were served at a good temperature.   I thought the White Bean Stew was quite tasty as well.  Tender beans that were savoury and slightly sweet while flavoured with warm spices.

Included with this platter, we found 2 soups.  The one on the left was a Traditional Bessara Soup.  This split pea soup was smooth and almost creamy.  It was not heavy though as the viscosity was just slightly thick.  Definitely got the natural sweetness to go along with some earthiness.  As for the other, it was the Classic Harria Soup made with tomato, lentils and chick peas.  This was tomato-forward without the edge of sourness.  Rather, it had the flavour, but was fairly mild with the richness of butter.  Lots of herbaceous hits, especially from the cilantro.

Even with the sampler, we wanted to some full-sized versions of their dips.  We tried the Chilled Eggplant Dip first and it was fantastic.  At the forefront, we got all of the smokiness due to the char on the eggplant.  That added considerable depth and impact.  In terms of texture, it was delicate and silky.  Hits from the garlic came through too as well as the smoothness of the EVOO.  Just a touch of acidity came in the form of lemon. 

Since we love hummus, we also had the appetizer version of the Moroccan Hummus.  Much like the eggplant dip, this was served with warm semolina bread.  The sturdiness of the bread fit well with the dips as we could get a lot of it onto one bite (and there was plenty on each plate).  About that hummus, it was thick, yet still creamy with earthy hits from the spices.  For me, I would've liked to see even more of the spices, but as a hummus, this was good.

Another classic small dish was the Lamb Merguez Sausages.  Due to the side of harissa on the side, we could customize the heat level to our liking.  I needed quite a bit of it since the sausages were default to a very mild flavour.  Definitely deliberate so that the spice level would be accessible to all.  I thought the texture was meaty, yet moist and tender.  Lots of earthiness and warmth from the spices.  With the addition of the harissa, it really brought the sausages to life.

Although the Beef Briwats weren't particularly interesting to look at, they were delicious and a textural delight.  Outside, the hand-rolled phyllo was uniformly crispy and a bit nutty.  Inside, the tender beef was nicely spiced and benefited from the natural sweetness of the onions.  Since they were mild (again, on purpose) where the harissa on the side was necessary (for me) to elevate the base flavours.

Something I had last time that I really wanted again was the Seafood Pastilla.  Sporting thin and flaky pastry, this had quite the healthy amount of seafood filling.  It was sweet and briny with textures that were appealing.  None of it was hard or overdone where the fish was still flaky and moist.  Loved the prawn on top as it had a natural aroma and essence.  Once again, this was served with harissa, but I didn't need it as I could get the flavours of the seafood better as is.

Once done with the smaller dishes, we moved onto the mains.  Naturally, we had to get the Lamb Shank Tagine.  As the lid of the tagine was lifted, we could get the aroma of lamb, saffron and spices.  The meat fell off the bone and was at its gelatinous succulent best.  For those who are concerned about lamb being gamy, for me at least, it wasn't.  Loved the saffron lemon braising jus as it was aromatic, bright and surprisingly light.

The show-stopper had to be the Rack of Lamb Flambé.  We decided on the half-rack and it was plenty of meat for us.  It was flambéed and carved tableside.  As you can see, the meat was about medium where it was juicy and extremely tender.  There was a spiced Dijon rub on the outside which was earthy and aromatic.  On the side, we found roast potatoes, tomatoes and rice.  Although a bit fatty, the lamb jus was full of umami and more of the spice from the lamb.

The biggest piece of meat we had was the Tagine of Lamb Shoulder.  Size wasn't the only great thing about this dish as the texture was on point too.  Fatty and tender, the meat had the classic velvety fall-off-the-bone quality.  It sat atop couscous that had soaked up all of the delicious juices including the accompanying veggies.  Naturally, the saffron and fall-flavoured spices was evident as well.

Finishing off our meal, we had a selection of Richbond Cookies, Walnut Cookies and Almond Briwat.  Yes, they were on the sweeter side, but really, not too bad.  Lots of textures here and aroma.  The Richbond was coconut forward, as it should be and the Walnut Cookies were nutty and floral.  Briwat were crispy due to the phyllo and had some almond paste inside.  Overall, we enjoyed our meal at Moltaqa where the lamb was prepared properly and the portion sizes were generous.  Loved the aromatics and hey, it is something different in a sea of Asian food (I love Asian food, but need a break sometimes!).

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

The Good:
- Something different
- Proteins were properly prepared
- Love the Moroccan spices

The Bad:
- Things could be spiced more heavily, but we understand that it appeals to the average customer 

 

OiSo (Popup Tasting Menu at Stackhouse Steak Sandwiches)

Sometimes, what you see is not what it seems.  That is true for many things such as Save-On-Foods being rather expensive (irony in the name).  Anyways, from the outside, Stackhouse looks like a sandwich shop (which is it).  However, for those who don't know, owner Eric Lee is a French-trained chef who has worked at Le Crocodile.  That would explain his delicious beef tartare sandwich!  Damso is another establishment that he worked at, so his experience and range are extensive.  So it wouldn't be as surprising at first glance that he as cooked up a Korean fusion tasting menu.  The surprising part is that it is being served at Stackhouse on Abbott after it is closed.  We were invited to give this a go.

Our first course was the Acorn Jelly in a kimchi dashi.  Tender and slippery, the acorn jelly still had a bite left.  Dashi was refreshing and balanced with tanginess, sweetness, spiciness and aromatics from the sesame oil.  Naturally, the kimich gave out fermented vibes with just a slight funk.  There was crunch from the cucumber and radish.  Roasted sesame seeds added another layer of nuttiness.

Next course featured a Taco with pulled pork.  I found the pulled pork to be moist with a natural meaty texture.  There was definite sweetness with noticeable smokiness.  We found some crunch with the pork cracklings on top.  Some tanginess and a bit lighter crunch came in the form of pickled onions.  One of the more interesting ingredients was the sesame leaf which was earthy and herbaceous.

Onto a fairly straight-forward dish, we had the Beef Tartare.  There was quail's egg in the mix and hence, offered up some silkiness.  In general, this tartare was buttery smooth with only mild seasoning.  The natural beef flavour came though, but I would've liked to see more aggressiveness with the tartare components.  We did find Asian pear and garlic shoots that provided clean sweetness as well as sharpness.  Loved the fife bread on the side.

No Korean-themed tasting menu would be complete without Kimchi right?  This came with a question mark though as it was a re-imagined dish with butter-roasted kimchi.  It was crunchy with freshness that was tangy, sweet and spicy.  We found a smooth and silky Hollandaise that acted like a kewpie mayo.  The addition of roasted brussels sprouts made for another layer of crunch.  We found some shaved pork bushi on top that subbed in for bonito flakes.

With a large piece of local uni on top, the Ramyeun sat in a dwenjang cream.  The noodles were supremely al dente with a wonderful chew that had nice elasticity.  Although the sauce was creamy, it wasn't overly heavy where it had the classic fermented soybean finish. There was a certain brightness that was only aided by the clean sweet taste of the fresh uni.  Some crunch was evident from the diced water chestnuts.

Sporting a large bowl of burdock rice with aster and bellflower root, we found the Land & Sea.  We all know what was land, but the sea part of the dish was scallop, clam and squid dressed in a sweet glaze.  In addition to nori sheets, we also found gamtae gim (green lattice seaweed).  Much like the clam bibimbap at a pocha, we used the seaweed to combine the rice and seafood to create a delicious bite.

There was actually excess rice from the previous dish, but it was perfect to go with the Kalbee.  Sporting a large piece of 24-hour braised shortrib with rice cake, carrots and potato.  Meat was fatty and fall-apart tender.  Lots of natural meatiness with sweetness from the root veggies.  Again, combined with the rice, it was a comforting and hearty dish.

Finally, we arrived at our last course, which was the Snowman.  This shaved ice was flavoured with yuzu and complimented by pieces of dalgona.  This was definitely sweet, but had balancing citrus.  Crunchy bits of dalgona provided a caramelized crunch.  Overall, this was a delicious meal with Korean and French influences (a taco too) which reflects Chef Eric Lee's training and experience.  Tentatively, this tasting menu will be priced at $85.00 and it is a fantastic meal at a reasonable price.  Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming pop-up dinners on their Instagram page!

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

The Good:
- Nice blend of Korean flavours with French dishes
- Things were prepared properly
- Well-priced

The Bad:
- Tartare could've been seasoned more aggressively

 

 

Aureliana

Due to the dominance of Asian cuisine in the GVRD, we are not blessed with a wide selection of ol' skool-type diners.  You know, the ones with the jukebox, checkered decor and red vinyl seats...  You'd have to travel a bit out of Vancouver proper to find one except for a select few.  There is a newish one on Hastings in Downtown though and it is more of a modern interpretation of a diner, but hey, I'll take it! Jackie and I were invited to try some of their wares and we didn't need to be asked twice!

Due to our impending indulgence with a variety of diner favourites, we did a preemptive strike and got something green in the Rocket Salad.  Naturally, this featured arugula (where rocket is from the French word roquette), pear and pistachio in a lemon dressing.  The arugula was fresh with it's classic pepperiness while balanced off by the sweet tang of the vinaigrette.  We got some more textures from the pear as well as the pistachio.

We were recommended the Mac & Cheese and it delivered.  First of all, the macaroni was firmly al dente, which meant there was texture.  Secondly, there was plenty of cheesiness, but not in a saucy way.  Rather, it had a thick and gooey consistency which had the sharpness of aged white cheddar and slight stringiness of mozzarella.  There was a bit of processed cheese product for saltiness and creaminess.  Some garlic breadcrumb on top provided texture.

One of my favourite items from this meal was the Reuben with pastrami, sauerkraut, signature mustard and Swiss on rye.  For $15.00, we thought this was a good value since they weren't shy about piling on slices of tender and buttery pastrami.  There was also uniformly melted Swiss with just a bit of sauerkraut.  Hence, the sandwich ate full-flavoured without being overly sour.  Even the mustard spread was just enough on the toasted rye.

We also had their 2nd most popular sandwich - Tuna Melt.  This featured light tuna, olive oil, lemon, parsley and American cheese.  As you can see in the picture above, the bread was evenly seared on the flattop being crunchy and deliciously buttery (maybe a bit too buttery?).  Inside, the tuna was super moist with a balanced amount of mayo.  It had enough seasoning for impact and the lemon provided some tangy brightness to counteract the butter.  However, I would've loved even more lemon.

Overflowing with sauteed mushrooms, the Mushroom Burger was tasty.  I found the burger patty had a great maillard with a nice sear and crispy edges.  Inside, the patty was still just a touch pink and plenty moist too.  It was completely covered in melted Swiss and a bunch of onions on top.  This help add a bunch of textures that complimented the soft brioche bun.  Naturally, the thing that stood out was the ample amount of buttery and well-seasoned mushrooms.  Tying it altogether, we had some signature mayo. 

We tried one more burger in the Luna with beef patty, grilled hot dog, bacon, American cheese, lettuce, jalapeno, onion and signature mayo.  This was one hearty creation with the same moist patty as the previous burger.  The combination of bacon, hot dog and melted American cheese made things a bit salty, but the onions, jalapeno and lettuce did help balance things out.  Fortunately, we had a few drinks to wash this all down...

Those drinks happened to be the Vanilla Milkshake and the Root Beer Float.  Thick, creamy and sweet, the milkshake was classic in both texture and taste.  It was well-blended and we could drink it through the straw no problem.  Some amaretti crumble added crunch.  As for the float, it brought back memories of yesteryear.  Of course it was sweet as well, but the combination of woodsy and earthy root beer with sweet vanilla ice cream just went down really well.  Perfect to go with the saltiness of the Luna.

Even though we arrived in the late afternoon, we were still able to try a few breakfast items including the Golden Breakfast featuring pancakes, bacon, fried egg and maple syrup.  These thick and well-seared pancakes were fluffy with a bit of firmness.  Loved the buttery crust that was flavourful and provided texture.  Of course the maple syrup was the perfect compliment, but the crispy bacon did its thing too offsetting the sweetness.  Fried egg still had a runny yolk and that added to fun. 

One last breakfast item we tried was the French Toast with vanilla and lemon custard as well as mascarpone cream.  The well-soaked brioche was custardy and ate like bread pudding.  It was aromatic and sweet with just a bit of tang.  It was also seared enough so that the colour was appealing and caramelization had occurred. Lots of butter really helped this become pretty decadent.  Loved this dish, I would gladly have it many times over.  

We ended things off with a slice of Apple Pie à la Mode.  This was great as the crust was buttery and lightly crispy.  It was coated with cinnamon sugar but was balanced off by the salt in the crust.  It also created another layer of crispiness.  Inside, the slices of apple were tender with just a hint of bite.  Glaze was sweet, but not overly so.  Nice consistency on it.  Scoop of vanilla ice cream was good quality being creamy and rich.  Lovely ending to a solid diner meal.  In fact, I am already planning my return visit as I know my kids would want to try it.  Really good diner that does food right.

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

The Good:
- Solid diner eats
- Nice retro design, but spacious
- Decent portions

The Bad:
- Definitely not diet food as this is a diner, things can be on the greasier and saltier side, but hey, it's a diner!

Imran Halal Beef Noodle

For an amazing Asian food metropolitan such as the GRVD, we don't have as many hand-pulled noodle spots as one would imagine.  Refining the category even more so, there aren't many Halal beef hand-pulled noodle restaurants to choose from either.  Have no fear since Imran Halal Beef Noodle checks all the boxes with their location on Robson near Nicola.  The place is spacious for a noodle joint and features counter service which is quick and efficient.  All of their noodles are made-to-order, so they are as fresh as can be.

Prior to our noodle experience, we tried some of their smaller places first.  We had a trio of appetizers/sides dishes including Cold Mixed Wood Ear with Onion, Spicy & Sour Shredded Potato and Spicy Cucumber.  I thought these were solid with crunchy wood ear with a mild sweetness and potato being tender but still retaining a bite.  I would've liked to see a bit more spice though.  Cucumbers were crunchy and fresh with plenty of garlickiness.  We also had the Tea Egg and it was more or less standard being a bit overdone (no way to avoid this).  It did have initial flavour but could've used more.

We got two small meat appetizers in the Five-Spice Beef and the Shredded Peppercorn Chicken.  If we had known the beef would be same found in the soup noodle and the cold noodle, were would've opted for the spicy beef instead.  This one was a bit plain and needed some chili oil and vinegar (found on the table) to wake it up.  On the other hand, the chicken was had some numbing spice to go with some mild sweet and salty notes.  Loved the gelatinized texture of the skin.

There were 3 BBQ dishes available and we got all of them.  They were all well-seasoned with the usual spice mix including a good amount of cumin and a touch of spice.  We got the BBQ Beef Skewers in mild and they were pretty tasty.  The meat was tender with a good amount of spice but it wasn't spicy.  For the BBQ Lamb Skewers, we got it in spicy and there was just a bit more heat, but not significantly.  Meat was also tender and not really all that gamy.  The Roast Chicken Wing Skewers were almost juicy with somewhat rendered skin.  Flavours were similar to the beef.

We had a collection of hand-pulled noodle items and of course we had to get the Lanzhou Halal Beef Noodle.  It came out steaming hot with a broth that was daikon-forward with the unmistakable sweetness of the root vegetable.  It was on the saltier side, but combined with the noodles and the addition of chili oil, there was balance.  The slices of five-spice beef was no different than the one we got as an appie.  It varied between tender and fatty to a bit dry (with those slices with less fat).

Onto something without soup, we had the Lanzhou Cold Noodles.  This came on a large plate with a considerable amount of hand-pulled noodles.  They were chewy and since they were cold, the chew was more robust.  They were tossed with only a mild amount of seasoning and moisture.  Hence, they did get a bit clumpy if not manipulated right away.  There was some Taiwanese cauliflower and also broccoli for some veggie content.  They were crunchy and vibrant.  Not sure of the five spice beef could've been better off mixed in rather than sitting on top?

For our fried noodle, we got both the Noodles with Stir-Fried Cumin Beef as well as the Noodles with Stir-Fried Cumin Lamb.  Once again, the freshly hand-pulled noodles had a remarkable chew to them and that in itself was pleasing.  Theere was some wok hei with caramalized flavours and pepperiness.  Of course the cumin really came through with both plates of noodles.  Overall, the food at Imran was delicious, freshly-made and served in generous portions.  The place was pretty full while we were there on a weeknight and it further reinforces it as a solid place for hand-pulled noodles in Downtown Vancouver.

*All food was complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Texturally on point hand-pulled noodles (made to order)

- Large portions

- Great for people who are on a Halal diet

The Bad:

- Since they hand-pull the noodles to order, you must be patient (but worth it)

- Some pieces of the five-spice beef were dry

Sumu

One look on the outside, Sumu on Burrard appears to be some high-end, boogie restaurant.  Well, it certainly isn't low end, but in reality, it is only a moderately-priced place that dishes up a mix of cuisines.  Upon entering, you will be greeted with a more elevated "Big Way" setup where you can pick-your-own-ingredients and broth.  Then perusing the menu, the most prominent section is their large assortment of Yakitori and other grilled skewers.  Completing the menu, we have Mini-Donburis and also Japanese "Izakaya-like" dishes to share.  A little bit strange for sure, yet, I always have an open mind.

Starting with the Yakitori (different grilled chicken parts), we had several skewers including the Lemongrass Pork Shoulder (grilled skewer, not Yakitori), Red Date Glazed Chicken, Chicken Heart and House Tsukune.  The pork shoulder was tender and almost juicy with strong hits of lemongrass.   Really enjoyed the red date chicken as it really did capture the sweetness of the date.  Chicken was succulent.  Chicken hearts were a little overdone, but still had an appealing chewiness.  Could've used a bit more salt.  We found the chicken meatballs to be a bit crumbly, but chock full of white and green onion notes.

Next set of skewers consisted of Premium Grade Certified Angus Beef, Enoki wrapped in Beef Rolls and Honey Glazed Pork Jowl.  This was a really great selection of grilled meats where the Angus Beef was served in large pieces and turned out to be supremely tender.  They were well-seasoned with lots of natural beef flavour.  The enoki beef wraps were also good with juicy meat encasing just enough enoki.  Pork jowl had that unmistakeable bounciness that was also a bit smoky.

Our last set featured Garlic Butter Prawns, Miso-Glazed Sablefish and Citrus-Charred Chicken Wings.  Butterflied and topped with flavourful garlic butter, the prawns were sweet and meaty.  As expected, the sablefish was fatty and flaky being buttery soft.  The skin was crispy while the miso on top added some fermented saltiness.  With crispy and fairly rendered skin, the wings were slightly dry, but had some nice smokiness to go with the brightness of citrus.

We ended up trying 3 of the Mini-Dons including the Grilled Unagi & Mango, Grilled Scallop and Salmon Oyako.  Yes, these were not very big, however, there was much more topping than rice.  Hence, every spoonful had a considerable amount of impact from the components.  I particularly enjoyed the diced unagi as it was sauced just enough and buttery soft.  The mango offered up some sweet tang to brighten things up.  The grilled bay scallops could've been a bit more rare, but they were still soft and sweet.  I found the salmon to be texturally on point, but maybe a bit more seasoning would've helped.

Onto the pick-your-own-ingredients Hot Pot, we had roughly a pound each which cost around $25.00 ($4.19/100g).  For mine, I went for the Red Curry which was fragrant and a bit creamy.  It wasn't overly spicy, which would appeal to most people.  Jackie had the Tom Yum Broth and it was appealingly sour with lemongrass and galangal notes with just a touch of spice.  Of course there was a help-yourself sauce bar that included the usual components as well as some fruit and veggies.  Overall, our experience at Sumu was rather interesting as they combined 3 different restaurant concepts into one.  Usually, this is a recipe for disaster but in some strange sense, it worked.  It gives people options and the pricing is reasonable.  Worth a try.

*Partial food credit was given for this blog post*

The Good:
- Three restaurants in one and it isn't bad
- Nice dining space
- Reasonable pricing

The Bad:
- Menu can be a bit confusing for some