Tahini's (North Vancouver)

At first, I wasn't sure what I was getting into when we were invited to try out the North Vancouver location of Tahini's.  It focuses on Shawarma bowls and wraps that have an international twist to them.  I've been to many similar quick service spots and they haven't been memorable.  However, we found some clues that Tahini's could be quite different.  First of all, everything is freshly made, including the saj bread (which are made to order).  Secondly, they have flavours not normally seen at a Shawarma place, such as Korean BBQ and Tandoori.  I guess we were in for a treat as many of the things on the menu seemed quite appealing.

To get a baseline of the food, we had to get one of their most popular items in the Habibi Bowl.  We chose a rice base that came with chicken shawarma on top.  Nicely charred with crispy smoky bits, the chicken itself was rather tender and almost juicy.  It was topped with sauces that made things a bit spicy and creamy.  Some pita chips added some crunch.  Solid bowl that had plenty of chicken and flavourful rice that had a nice chew.

We had another top-rated bowl in the Butter Chicken Bowl also on a rice base.  This was also made with chicken shawarma that was crisped up on the flat top while mixed with butter chicken sauce.  We asked for mild and indeed it was, but also had some background spice.  Chicken was moist and the sauce had an earthy tanginess.  A dollop of sour cream added more tart creaminess.  Sumac coated onions provided crunch and another layer of tanginess.

We had something different as well as being vegetarian in the Falafel Salad.  These falafels were legit as they were made-to-order by hand.  Hence, they were not overly dense, yet still held together.  Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.  Nicely spiced with mild herbaceousness.  It was served with hummus, pickled turnips and tomatoes.

So what if you didn't want rice or salad?  How about some Messy Fries, which is their ode to poutine.  What we had here was a bed of crispy starch-coated fries topped with a considerable amount of chicken shawarma, and a few sauces (that were tangy, creamy and spicy), feta cheese and parsley.  Completely messy, but super-tasty since the chicken itself was already plenty seasoned while the sauces provided hits of heat, tang and saltiness.

We had one more bowl in the 50/50 Bowl consisting of half salad and half rice.  It was topped with beef gyro and halloumi.  Tender in spongy way (which is typical of the processed beef), the beef was tasty on its own with an intensely savoury flavour.  As for the fried halloumi, there was a slight crispiness giving way to the classic rubbery texture.  Some sumac onions, tomatoes and some sour cream rounded out the bowl.

Onto the wraps, we went for some of the other fusion flavours such as Korean BBQ Chicken Wrap.  As expected, this was on the sweeter side with only a bit of spice.  Nice compliment from the sumac onions with some tang and sharpness.  This added a crunch as well.  But the best part was the saj bread itself since it was made-to-order with fresh dough that was pressed and then cooked on a saj domed maker.  So fresh, soft and full of elasticity, the bread had a great chewiness and was beautifully seared.

One of the most flavourful wraps was the Jerk Chicken Wrap.  We asked for this to be made spicy and it was indeed that.  Lots of tingling on my lips and lingering sting on my tongue.  This was exactly how I like it and the fermented and earthy flavours of the jerk spices added plenty of umami.  Once again, the chicken was juicy with crispy bits and the saj bread was texturally on point.

We had one last wrap in the Tandoori Chicken Wrap.  Employing the chicken shawarma with the tandoori spices was such a natural pairing.  We had smokiness from the char itself where it complimented the earthiness of the spices.  Nice tang as well from the yogurt and the crunch from the cucumbers and pickles helped brighten things up.

We had a few smaller items as well in the Beef Samosas and the Chicken Tenders.  These mini-samosas were crispy without the heaviness of the dough-heavy larger versions.  Inside, the beef was tender and moist with some spice.  As for the chicken tenders, sure, they didn't look any different than any other tender, but they did have a good crunch and some spice as well.  Chicken came out moist and tender.  Overall, we were thoroughly impressed with the food at Tahini's.  They pride themselves on "unbland food" and I would say it is accurate.  Furthermore, things are indeed fresh where the saj bread is the star.  I could eat that just by itself with just a bit of their creamy hummus.  Highly recommended and also cost-friendly too.

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

The Good:

- That made-to-order saj bread!

- Fresh food

- Flavourful

The Bad:

- Parking in the area is a bit hard to come by sometimes

Kavita

You know I really enjoy a delicious Indian meal every now and then.  Well, it isn't hard to find good Indian food in the GVRD, especially Punjabi cuisine.  There is a smattering of South Indian and some Goan spots as well.  One of the newest Indian restaurants in town is rather unique as the Head Chef and Owner, Tushar Tondvalkar meshes his experience at Michelin-star restaurants abroad to local high-end dining with classic Indian techniques from different regions.  Something definitely different and completely elevated.  Viv and I decided to give his Ammakase a go which is a chef's curated menu that is highly-seasonal and thoughtfully-designed.

To get things started, we were presented with 3 different small bites and a steaming hot broth.  The first (right to left) was a Achappam, Beef Tartare with Himalayan mustard, Sunchoke Croquette and Shorba.  The crunchy Achappam was floral and sweet while the beef tartare was tender and buttery with a crispy papadum shell.  Croquette was crispy and creamy with some spice.  That broth at the end was a flavour bomb with tang and depth.  There was some balancing sweetness at the end with a gingery finish.

Next, we had the Morel Chick Pea with yogurt kadhi and mustard.  Unlike most curries, the one here was light and tangy with an appealing butteriness.  We found an earthy finish while witnessing much restraint and balance.  Texturally, we had some softness complimented by crispiness as well. This was a preview of what was to come as we usually associate heaviness with Indian food.

One of our favourite dishes was the vegetarian Momo sitting in a lemongrass tomato jhol with Swiss chard.  Oh wow, for such a humble and simple dish, this was my favourite of the tasting menu.  Fragrant with lemongrass and spiciness that became more pronounced at the end, the broth was impactful.  The dumpling skin was thin and full of elasticity.  Hiding within, we found vibrant and crunchy veggies.  There was a bit of bitterness from the chard.

Then we moved onto the Halibut Cheek in fisherman's green sauce and kolarabi.  Although the cheek itself was a bit more cooked than I wanted it to be, it was still classic cheek texture.  It was a bit bouncy and had a bit of a chew.  Nice crispiness on the exterior and caramelization.  Sauce was super herbaceous and silky, yet still subtle.  Kohlrabi on the side was crunchy with acidity and topped with briny ikura.

The most filling course was the Wild Boar encased in black garlic fried rice and then wrapped in a banana leaf.  Although the boar was lean (as it tends to be), it was still moist and tender.  It was also naturally flavourful.  Although encased, the rice was not mushy.  It absorbed the flavours from the leaves.  The fermented umaminess from the black garlic was quite evident.  Lastly, the black sesame came through with a rich nuttiness.

Composed and carefully-prepared, the Aged Duck came with a vindaloo sauce, fried cassava and potato.  Perfectly medium-rare, the duck featured crispy skin that was mostly rendered.  It sat in a tangy vindaloo sauce which had the perfect viscosity.  Once again, there was restraint as the sauce complimented the duck beautifully, yet did not dominate the dish.  We found a pleasantly crispy cassava on the side as well as charred broccolini.

As a pre-dessert, we were served a Kokum Sorbet that was tangy and only lightly sweetened.  There was definite tamarind vibes to this, but kokum belongs to the mangosteen family. Texturally, it was smooth as if there was cream, but in fact, there was none. There was an earthy finish at the end.  This helped us wash away the previous flavours and to get us ready for our dessert.

Our actual dessert consisted of a Christmas Cake that was effectively a festive rum cake with plump raisins, orange and ginger.  Somewhat like a Christmas fruit cake, but actually tasty, this had hits of cardamom and cloves.  It was not dense like a fruit cake, so it was fluffier.  I found the pops of sweetness from the raisins to be the surprise in each bite.  I would've liked more of the gel to go with the crispy parts of the dessert.

Lastly, we had some small bites to end the meal in some Whey Peda with pine.  This chewy and thick bite was a bit creamy and mildly sweet.  Definitely some grassy notes too.  Overall, we were really impressed with the creations that Chef Tushar Tondvalkar presented to us for the tasting menu.  Flavours were familiar but presented in a different manner which had incredible balance and we didn't feel heavy eating it.  We would be more than glad to have this again, as well as his regular menu.

The Good:

- Familiar things but reimagined 

- Not heavy and well-balanced

- Thoughtfully created dishes

The Bad:

- Halibut cheek could've been less cooked

Sula (Dine Out Vancouver 2026)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Good:

- Well-priced

- The menu includes enough food and sides

- Delicious

The Bad:

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

An Indian Affair (Willoughby)

We all know that Greater Vancouver is famous of its Chinese food (in particular Cantonese cuisine).  However, it is becoming a hotbed of Indian cuisine as well.  Now it isn't as if this was suddenly the case as there has been a long-standing Indian community (particularly Punjabi) in the GVRD.  Yet, there has been an explosion of nicer, higher-end Indian restaurants opening up all over the place.  Many sport elegant decor complete with a full-service bar and elevated dishes.  One of the newest is actually a 2nd location of An Indian Affair in Willowbrook.  We made our way out to Willoughby Town Centre to check it out.

Before we got to the food, we had quite the fun experience with their cocktails (and mocktails).  We had the flaming Tikki Baba as well as a Zero Proof Kiss My Lips.  Featuring a flaming half-lime, this drink sure had the theatrics.  Yet, at the same time, it was went down super-easy and hence, dangerous!  The guava and lime made this tropical and sweet, hiding the Old Monk rum pretty well.  Served in an equally interesting vessel, Kiss My Lips was fruity and refreshing.  Loved the hanging serving vessel with the opening for a straw!

Onto the food, we got the Palak Patta Chaat to kick things off.  I've had this many times before, but this has to be one of the best versions.  The crispy chickpea flour-battered spinach leaves were crispy and light.  This was topped with sweet yogurt, tangy tamarind chutney and mint sauce.  The combination of flavours were a little of everything and very appetizing.

I was super happy about the next dish as Chicken 65 is one of my favourites.  If you are wondering about the name, the dish was created in 1965 at Hotel Buhari.  This particular one was a tasty with meaty pieces of chicken that were doused in an earthy sauce that was slightly spicy and tangy.  The chicken itself was not dry and had a firm exterior.

Up next, we had the Mixed Grill Affair consisting of lamb chops, tandoori prawns, tandoori chicken, chicken tikka and tandoori fish.  Nice char on the each item that was smoky, yet not burnt at the same time.  Lamb was succulent and well-spiced while the chicken was tender and juicy.  Prawns were meaty with lots of aromatics.  The fish was tender and flaky.

So Bubble Cosmo and Paan Affair were both smoke shows, but in different ways.  For the Bubble Cosmo, it was revealed as the cloche was lifted, with smoke filling the air.  Due to the dry ice, the Paan Affair kept smoking as we were enjoying the drink.  Due to the passionfruit, it was tropical and sweet, but tequila was still lurking in the background.  The Bubble Cosmo wasn't as strong as other Cosmopolitans I've had due to the balanced amount of cranberry juice.

The Affair Malai (Coconut Prawn Curry) was served in a whole coconut.  Not the best to see in a picture, yet I assure you, it was plenty tasty.  Aromatic and creamy from the coconut milk (and cream), the gravy was also nicely spiced with some earthiness and slight spice.  The prawns were juicy with a meaty snap.  Best of all, the young coconut meat added another layer of texture and bright sweetness.

We added some more dishes including the Chicken Tikka Masala and Goat Curry.  Unlike Butter Chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala is more robust and spiced.  That it was with tender chicken with an earthiness and balancing tanginess.  As for the Goat Curry, it had classic fall spice flavours with cloves and cardamom.  There was the usually earthiness from the cumin and some gingery notes.  The goat itself was tender and gelatinous.

Out last entree was the classic Palak Paneer.  With house-made paneer, this benefitted from the soft and appealingly squishy cubes of cheese.  They were bathed in a rich spinach gravy that was balanced with gingery notes.  It had equal parts sweetness, savouriness and earthiness.  We had some Garlic Naan to go with the curries and it was fantastic.  Well charred and blistered on the outside, without being burnt, the naan was nutty and crispy.  Inside it was soft and fluffy.  There was plenty of garlic as well as ghee and salt.  Hence, it ate very well even without being dipped into the sauces.

The fireworks continued with our cocktails with the Kambakht Ishq.  It was served surrounded by a cindering steel wool.  The drink itself consisted of smoky mezcal, aperol and lime with cherry infusion.  The  Lycheeni had layers of pretty colours and was fruity and of course, lychee-forward.  It came in a pretty glass with a built-in straw, but was a bit unstable.  Be careful when moving it!

We ended off our meal with desserts that were not the usual.  Rather, we had the Mango Cheesecake and the Paan-e-Bahar.  Fluffy and light, the mango cheesecake was semi-sweet with only the slightest of cheeseiness.  As for the Paan-e-Bahar, it was a total surprise.  Again, it was also not super sweet while being plenty herbal-tasting.  The sponge cake was light and fluffy.  In the end, we were quite impressed with the food, drinks and overall vibe of An Indian Affair.  There are many nicer Indian restaurants in the GVRD these days, but this one seemed to put it altogether for a reasonable price.  One doesn't need to have a special reason to dine at An Indian Affair because their prices are less than most chain restaurants.

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

The Good:

- Well-prepared eats

- Reasonable prices

- Showstopping drinks that actually taste good

The Bad:

- Parking in Willoughby Town Centre can be difficult at times