Amber Road

What if I told you there is this new stylish European restaurant that features cuisine inspired by the ancient trade route connecting the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean?  Head Chef and owner Jarek Jaroslaw has crafted a menu that touches everywhere from the Mediterranean to Eastern Europe.  Consider this, would you believe it is located in the Holiday Inn & Suites Vancouver Downtown?   Yes, it isn't the first place that comes to mind when guessing its location.  That would probably explain the inclusion of some more recognizable North American dishes and breakfast on the menu.  However, we came here to experience the unique cuisine at Amber Road!

We started off with things I've never had before including the Elk Pyzy Of The Northern Forest which were Polish potato dumplings filled with elk and sauced with light cream, bacon and chanterelles.  These were stealthily delicious as they initially didn't give away how flavourful they would be.  Once past the soft potato casing, we found tender and surprisingly non-gamy elk.  But the strongest part was the aromatic woodsiness of the plentiful chanterelles combined with the cream and salty bacon.

Another surprising item was the Polish Croquettes because they didn't look like how I envisioned what would be classified as a croquette.  Featuring folded golden crêpes filled with mushrooms, spinach and cheese, these reminded me more like a spanakopita (at least the filling that is).  Oh and how delicious was that filling...  It was creamy and cheesy with tender spinach and the umami of mushrooms.  The exterior was crispy and light.  This was served with traditional red borscht on the side.  It was earthy, sweet and tangy.

Something much more recognizable was the Arancini Dell'ambra.  These were quite massive and featured a slightly crispy breading that was seasoned.  Inside, the risotto was somewhere between firm and soft, so it was quite easy to eat and had silky texture.  There was plenty of cheese inside that was melted and quite stringy.  Underneath, the marinara sauce was tangy with a bit of sweetness.

Another classic dish was the Mediterranean Calamari.  This one is the Italian version and really, it has been debated if the fried version is Italian or Greek.  Well, both have grilled, stewed and fried dishes.  Whatever the case, this was good where the calamari was tender with a slight rebound texture.  The light batter was crispy and properly seasoned.  It came with a lemon aioli and a fresh herb tartar sauce.  Both were good, and depended on whether you liked a tangier dip or more herbaeceous one.

I'm pretty sure the Galician Free-Range Chicken Wings were on the menu to satisfy local tastes.  However, with us choosing the Mediterranean herb flavour, it could be considered Hungarian-style.  Of course one could order them as BBQ, garlic or Buffalo-style as well.  These were well-prepared wings with a crispy exterior and rendered skin.  No flabby skin on these ones and they were well-seasoned too.  Inside, the meat was tender and moist.

Our last appetizer or small plate was the Rollatini Di Melanzane which consisted of baked eggplant rolls stuffed with ricotta and mozzarella in a marinara sauce.  This was quite familiar as it had similar elements to an eggplant parmigiana.  I happen to love that dish and this was no exception.  It had a tangy tomato sauce with plenty of ricotta and melted mozzarella on top.  The slices of eggplant were tender, but not mushy.

Onto our main dishes, we had the Amber Road Cheeseburger.  Once again, this was mainly catered for those less adventurous.  However, it was a solid burger with a nicely charred grass-fed beef patty that was lean and meaty.  Some melted Swiss cheese helped add some European content while the portobello mushroom provided another layer of meatiness and earthiness.  That thick-cut bacon was lean with big flavour.  This could be had with a beer for only $20.00 on Tuesdays!

Heading over to Executive Chef Jaroslaw Faryna's native Poland, we had the Galician Pierogis.  These were really good with a thin dumpling wrapper that was tender with appealing elasticity.  Inside, we found a creamy and soft potato and cheese filling which was plenty flavourful on its own.  However, it sat on a bed of creamy and thick sour cream while topped with crispy guanciale.  Classic salty bacon vibes with sour cream.

Sitting in a rich champagne and saffron cream with fresh herbs, the Mediterranean Lobster Ravioli featured a firm house-made pasta that was still cooked through.  I found the filling slightly dense, but still impactful in terms of lobster essence.  I found the sauce to be heavy, so a little went a long way.  I did like the addition of champagne as it provided a bit of brightness.  The little smattering of ikura did add little pops of brininess.

Going with some of the biggest hits, we head to Austria with the Viennese Schnitzel.  This was a pretty thick piece of pork cutlet which was quite meaty and firm.  The breading was not too thick and fairly crispy.  It was topped with a runny sunny side egg and bacon.  That in itself made things a bit breakfast-like, but hey, that is how I like it!  We found tender red cabbage and hasselback potatoes complementing the schnitzel.

One of my favourites from the meal was the Crown Roast of Lamb.  This featured 4 Frenched lamb chops that were grilled to about medium.  They were juicy and super tender.  Maybe it is because I love eating lamb that I didn't consider it too gamy.  Although properly seasoned and sauced, the carrot-ginger puree really added a bright sweetness and bite.  On the side, we found a beautiful potato gratin that was layered with tender slices that had crispy edges.

Arriving with 2 really large and meaty bones, the Braised BBQ Ribs had some Romanian inspiration with a smoky tomato coffee sauce.  This had plenty of depth with the smoked paprika and slight aromatic bitterness of the coffee.  The ribs super tender where the meat had not shrunk considerably.  This way, it retained more moisture and the meat maintained its structure and didn't tighten up.  This was served with some fries and slaw.

One of the more surprising dishes was the Classic Beef Wellington.  Despite the flaky pastry being a touch dense in spots, the entirety of Wellington was well-executed.  Firstly, the beef tenderloin was a perfect medium-rare.  It was soft with its juices intact.  I know this might be bold to say, but I enjoyed this one more than Gordon Ramsey's version at the River Rock (mind you, the one in Vegas was better).  Veggies were also good being cooked just enough.

Onto the sweets, we tried all of them including the Limoncello Tiramisu.  Loved the light and creamy mascarpone that was balanced in terms of sweetness.  Ladyfingers were soft and moist without being soggy.  Of course the bright citrus flavour of the limoncello was welcomed as well as just a touch of booziness.  Some lemon rind on top provide an extra hit of lemon and slight bitterness.

Hands-down, my favourite dessert was the Flambéed Crêpe à La Mode.  The thin and tender crêpe was delicate with an appealing elasticity.  It was buttery and caramelized.  Inside, we found some sweet slices of apple and pear.  On the outside, this was topped with a black currant compote and a scoop of ice cream.  Sure, with all these components, the dessert ate on the sweeter side, but it was still balanced.

One can't get anymore classic than a Crème Brûlée.  This was indeed a textbook version with a silky custard that was aromatic but not all that sweet.  Perfect really since it allowed the on point torched layer of sugar on top to do the heavy-lifting.  That it did with a proper thickness and uniform texture.  It cracked with a firm strike with our spoon.  There was definite caramel vibes and just the slightest of smokiness.

Finally, we had the Panna Cotta that was beautifully presented.  The panna cotta itself was silky and soft without being too firm nor dense.  It was semi-sweet and sat atop a sweet raspberry sauce and berry sorbet.  Loved the textural contrast of the thin cookie accents on the side.  Overall, the food at Amber Road was interesting and diverse.  Sure, there are some universally recognizable hotel menu items, but hey, they need to take care of every customer.  For me, I would go for the unique items and experience the European touches Chef Jaroslaw Faryna incorporates into every dish.  Very large portions here also.  Best to bring some friends and share.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:

- The unique European dishes stand out

- Large portions

- Comfortable and upscale dining space

The Bad:

- To satisfy all customers, there is forced fusion of more recognizable dishes (totally understandable being in a mainstream hotel)

The Victor (Mother's Day Brunch)

Normally, we don't celebrate Mother's Day on the actual day.  Being practical people that we are, we tend to avoid the crowds and the inflated prices that are generally found at restaurants.  Hence, we do it the day before or maybe even the week afterwards.  However, there are perks to do it on the actual day.  One of which is the elaborate brunches available at many of the hotel restaurants in town.  This year, we did do a proper Mother's Day at The Victor located in the Parq Hotel.  I've been to the Sunday Disco Brunch here before and it was great.  So we knew what to expect this time around.

To facilitate the Sunday brunch buffet, they have to spread out the food into different sections.  The main part of the spread is near the sushi bar, with the bar itself being the main focal point.  The "lineup" starts with some smaller items and Salads.  I didn't include the romaine and mesclun greens but they served as the base for the rest of the items and the salad dressings.  One item of note was the devilled eggs, they were really salty.

 

Once past the salads and little bites, we moved onto the Sushi Rolls as well as some Poké.  In general, the rolls were pretty typical, yet did feature some chewy sushi rice and fresh ingredients.  I thought the poke was quite good with large chunks of either salmon or ahi tuna mixed with their respective sauces.  I wished there was some rice to go with it.

 

Onto the showstopper section, we found a selection of Oysters on the half shell, Cocktail Prawns and split Snow Crab Legs.  Even though I would've preferred king crab, that would've put the cost up by a lot.  With that being said, the snow crab legs were pretty large and meaty.  Not bad.  Oysters were shucked well and they weren't too big, hence they went down easy.

 

Over at the Carvery, we found BBQ pork which was decent and BBQ Salmon, which was a bit over and dry.  The Ham was great being baked until super tender and buttery.  As much as it wasn't really a carvery item, the Shakshuka was tasty with silky eggs in a earthy, tangy and slightly spicy tomato sauce.  Right beside it, the Prime Rib Roast was tender, juicy and mostly medium-rare.

 

Adjacent to the Carvery was a selection of Breakfast Items that featured sausages, bacon, smashed potatoes and scrambled eggs.  As you can see, the eggs were completely runny and not cooked to oblivion.  Hence, they were silky and soft.  The bacon was lean and crispy while the sausages were meaty and well-seared.  Potatoes were crispy with a soft interior while tossed with peppers and onions.  Although I didn't have one, you could get a custom omelette as well.

 

Over at the bar, we found a Dessert Spread with different cakes, cupcakes and cookies.  I particularly enjoyed the carrot cake as it was moist, nutty and sweet.  Back across the sushi bar, we found a Power Bowl station with the usual ingredients as well as a bunch of fruit such as orange slices, green & red grapes, strawberries, pineapple and watermelon. 

 

Finally, one cannot leave any buffet brunch at The Victor without hitting up their famous Candy Bar.  Now the picture you see above is from their Disco Brunch because the one at the Mother's Day Brunch was super busy and some items were getting empty (although they were constantly refilling).  So this is a much better picture.  Overall, the brunch was quite good with quality items that were generally well-prepared.  Sure, it is pricey, but you must take into account the service, Downtown location, quality and selection of food as well as the beautiful dining space.

The Good:

- Generally solid eats

- Nice dining space

- Excellent service

The Bad:

- Since they have to makeshift their buffet stations, sometimes there is a bottleneck at the start of the lineup

- Dessert selection is fine, but could be more refined

Cibo Trattoria

Cibo Trattoria is yet another restaurant I've not been back to for quite some time.  I know in the meantime, there have been a few changes including the head chef.  Currently, they have one that is from Naples, which gives the restaurant some legitimacy.  However, we all know, it doesn't really matter where someone is from, rather, it is how they cook.  We stopped by for an early dinner before heading over to the Orpheum for some music from the VSO.

To get things started, we had a bunch of appies including the Focaccia and Burrata.  Extremely fluffy with a slightly crispy exterior, the focaccia was only okay for me.   I wished I had some more inherent flavour from the bread before I dipped it into the EVOO and balsamic.  As for the burrata, it was served with prosciutto.  I thought the burrata was fresh as it was still creamy in the middle and not runny.

Really enjoyed the appetizer that I selected, which was the Grilled Humboldt Squid.  This was a generous piece where it was a bit smoky from the grill.  Loved the colour on it.  It had an initial squishy chew to it, but gave way tenderness.  It was properly seasoned and it rested a tangy arugula and chickpea salad.  Some salsa verde added more brightness and seasoning.

Viv went for the Seared Ahi Tuna atop an orange fennel salad.  Evenly seared on each side, the ahi tuna was soft, but a bit meaty at the same time.  I wished there was some salt atop the tuna, but the citrus vinaigrette was plenty punchy to make things bright and tangy.  More sweetness and crunch was added by the fennel and orange slices.

For our mains, we had a couple of pastas including the Linguine with Sea Scallops.  The fresh pasta was prepared firmly al dente and had a good chew to it.  Really great mouth-feel and completely fragrant from the saffron.  The creaminess of the sauce held on tightly with the pasta without having a big pool of it on the bottom of the plate.  Scallops were nicely seared and slightly rare in the middle.

With an abundance of meat sauce, the Tagliatelle al Ragu was my favourite dish.  Just like the previous pasta, the tagliatelle was fresh and cooked until barely tender.  There was a firmness to it that added texture and a robust quality to the dish.  That was completely aided by the rich ragu where the meat was super tender while taking on the sweetness of the veggies.  Super delicious.

In addition to the pastas, we also the Asparagus Risotto.  There was an option to add scallops, but since we already had them, we had it as it came.  Honestly, the dish didn't need it as it was plenty rich and cheesy with al dente grains of arborio rice.  The risotto spread on the plate and that was our first indication of proper execution.  Moreover, the distinct flavour of asparagus emanated from the risotto.

Although the Roasted Duck Breast was cooked to medium-rare where it was tender and juicy, the skin was a real miss.  It was flabby and not crispy.  Hence, it was chewy and frankly, unappealing.  Really too bad as the meat was perfect.  Furthermore, the amarena cherry jus provided the delicious sweet & tangy compliment to the duck.

Our meal then transitioned to dessert with the classic Tiramisu.  This was textbook with soft espresso-soaked lady fingers as well as some liqueur.  The mascarpone cream was light and mildly sweet.  With a dusting of cocoa powder on top, we had some chocolaty goodness.  Solid tiramisu.

The other dessert we had was the Vanilla Bean Pannacotta.  This was also quite good where the pannacotta set properly but was not too gelatinized.  Hence, it was creamy and light.  Sweetness was measured and the fresh strawberries added brightness and sweet tang (pretty great even though they were not really in season yet).  Overall, the meal at Cibo was beyond solid.  Sure, somethings could've been better, but the new chef knows what they are doing with the pastas and the risotto.  Would come back.

The Good:

- Solid pastas and risotto

- Well-portioned

- Excellent service

The Bad:

- Duck skin was not great

C|Prime Modern Italian Steak and Wine

Haven't been back to C|Prime in the Century Plaza Hotel for quite some time.  I remember when it was Roy's Steakhouse (that closed 20 years ago), that my parents would frequent back in the day.  Yep, they brought me along and I was that little kid who was getting his fill of steak.  I guess not much has changed as I still like my fill of steak!  Recently, I returned with Jackie to try out some dishes.

We started off with a showstopper in the Osso e Manzo (Bone Marrow Beef Tartare).  With filet mignon tartare on top, the huge bone marrow was really over-the-top.  It served its purpose though by being a serving vessel for the tender and buttery tartare.  Of course there was fatty bone marrow underneath all that, which only helped make the dish more sinful and buttery.  Soaked with butter, the side of toasted bread was the perfect crispy texture to compliment the bone marrow and tartare.  I do think the bone marrow and tartare did clash a bit and I'd rather have them separately.  Both were good though.

Next, we had the Risotto Nero which featured a grilled 1/2 lobster.  However, the thing that made this dish sing was the lobster bisque reduction.  Our senses of both smell and taste were blasted with the concentrated lobster essence.  It helped flavour the risotto completely and made us wanting our next spoonful of risotto.  Thick but evenly spread on the plate, the risotto was cooked right with chewy rice that exuded the beautiful colour of squid ink.

The main event was the Angus Reserve Bone-in Ribeye prepared medium-rare.  This was a bit closer to rare, which kept the meat moist, but possibly less tender.  With that being said, the steak was sufficiently tender and had good natural beef flavour.  It was served with a silky and gelatinous demi-glace which was flavourful with a pleasant saltiness and umami.  It was also properly rested as there was minimal juices on the plate.

On the side, we had two dishes including the Truffle Mac & Cheese as well as the Foraged Mushrooms.  Typically, I find mac & cheese at most steakhouses to be highly disappointing.  This one bucked the trend by being cheesy and properly sauced, so that it wasn't dry.  There was plenty of truffle flavour (with real black truffle too) and seasoning.  Toasted crumbs on top added a nice crunch while the noodles were not mushy.  As for the mushrooms, they were texturally on point while completely seasoned.  

For desert, we had the Tiramisu, which was presented in a showy manner.  Once the clear cylindrical container was removed, it revealed plenty of mascarpone cream.  This ate quite well with moist espresso-soaked lady fingers and sweet mascarpone.  Although this looked rather wet, it didn't eat as such.  Overall, this was a solid meal and there was some pizazz to go with it. 

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

The Good:

- Nice decor and atmosphere

- The items we had some flair

- Some really good dishes

The Bad:

- Steak was prepared properly but could've been a bit more tender