Suyo

It goes without saying that Vancouver is well-known for its diverse eats...  in Asian cuisine.  Yep, we got all the Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Indian eats that you want including a spattering Thai, Singaporean and Indonesian.  However, when you want something that is Eastern European and South American, well you might have to look real hard.  Well, we have a newish addition to that in Suyo, that dishes up modern Peruvian cuisine.  It has gotten a lot of positive praise, so Eileen and I decided to hit it up for dinner.

After starting with a few cocktails, we moved onto our first dish - Steelhead Trout Tartare.  This was nicely plated and served with nori-dusted tapioca crisps.  I found the tartare to be buttery due to the trout mixed with creamy avocado.  Naturally, the crisps provided not only a vessel, but also textural contrast.  Nice pops of brininess was provided by the ikura on top.  On the plate we found an aji amarillo sauce that provided a creamy spiciness.  The drops of avocado mousse added even more creaminess.  The only thing I would add to this is a bit more acidity.

We moved onto another raw dish with the Beef Tartare with capers, cornichons and salsa anticuchera.  This was rather saucy and was even more so after mixing the beef with the egg yolk.  It got even more wet when we added a dollop of huancaína.  Despite this, it ate quite well with plenty of tanginess, spice, sharpness and the butteriness of the beef.  Again, the tapioca crisps were the perfect vessel.

One of the best dishes of the meal had to be the Dungeness Crab Croquette Causa.  The croquette itself was practically all crab that was fluffy and light.  There was enough acidity to keep things bright and the outside was light and crispy.  It was topped with spicy aji amarillo aioli.  There was some avocado mousse for extra creaminess while the potato was smooth and extra tangy.  We also found grape tomatoes and quail's egg on the plate.

Also featuring aji amarillo, the Pork Chicharron was accompanied by polenta tamal, yam puree and rocoto emulsion.  Each chunk of pork belly was tender and fatty with some crackling on the top.  It was well-seasoned and tasted great by itself with roasted pork essence.  However, the spicy emulsion helped liven things up.  I found the polenta tamal squares to be delicate and mild-tasting, but some tapenade on top added the necessary saltiness.

Onto the bigger plates, we had the beautifully-plated Haida Gwaii Halibut Sudado with charred broccoli, peppers and onions in an aji amarillo shellfish broth.  Loved the tangy aromatic broth as it complimented the fish well without being overwhelming.  The charred broccoli was off the hook with a firm crunch, noted smokiness and a buttery exterior.  The side of chocio rice (with garlic and corn) was excellent.  It was chewy and fluffy at the same time while completely flavoured with aromatics and butteriness.  As for the halibut, it was a considerable portion, but it was not moist.  It wasn't completely dry, but it was dense.

By the time we got around to the Arroz con Pato, we were completely stuffed.  However we needed to at least try this dish.  It featured a seared duck breast atop cilantro-beer rice with a fried duck egg, huancaína and Peruvian salsa.  The duck was cooked perfectly being barely medium.  It was tender and moist with enough seasoning.  The skin was a bit tough though.  That cilantro-beer rice was delicate and flavourful while the addition of the egg added a rich silkiness.

For dessert, we shared the Chocolate Tres Leches with whipped toasted honey and berries.  This was a fine finish to the meal as it was super moist due to being soaked with condensed milk.  However, the cake itself was excellent with plenty of chocolaty goodness complimented by balanced sweetness.  As a whole, the meal at Suyo was quite good and well-portioned.  Suyo reminds me a little of Andina in Portland, but with even more modern touches.

The Good:
- Nice vibe, modern and inviting
- Overall good food
- Excellent service

The Bad:
- Food is good, but could use a few touch-ups

Bravas Bar de Tapas

So making the journey from Crescent City to Fremont wasn't exactly the shortest drive we could've planned.  Furthermore, taking detours to see the giant redwoods made for even a longer day.  However, with no reason to add another stop to our already long road trip, we had to do what we had to do.  Our original plan was to stop in Berkeley for some dinner before the short jaunt over to Fremont (where my cousins live).  That changed suddenly when we exited in Healdsburg to use the washroom.  This ended up with a visit to Bravas Bar de Tapas for dinner!

After ordering some sangrias (only for the adults!), we got down to the food starting with the Patatas Bravas with spicy tomato sauce and aioli.  Consisting of medium-sized chunks of fried potatoes, this was a nice start to the meal.  Viv thought the potatoes were fried too much, but I didn't mind them as they sported a firmly crunchy exterior.  Although, I did agree with her that the potatoes as a whole were too dense.  The aioli was creamy and garlicky while the tomato sauce was rather sweet.  The kids really loved the Creamy Chicken Croquetas as they were lightly crispy on the outside.  Inside, the filling was indeed creamy with small pieces of ham.  The combination of the ham and gruyere cheese made this robust and bordering on salty.

One of the more surprising dishes was the Fried Eggplant Chips with truffle honey and rosemary.  They didn't resemble a vegetable in anyway.  So much so, the kids thought they were pretty good!  Evenly crispy with very little eggplant texture, these did live up to the "chip" in its description.  Due to the honey, the chips ate rather sweet with the earthiness of truffle and woodsiness of the rosemary.  Another vegetable that we ordered was the Asparagus with black garlic aioli, crispy jamon and preserved lemon.  Sometimes, veggies don't get enough appreciation but these were very good.  Charred with a smokiness while still not overdone, the asparagus were well-seasoned.  The earthiness from the black garlic and saltiness of the jamon packed a punch.  Bitterness of the preserved lemon rind provided good balance.

Served as little sandwiches (Bocadillos), the duck meatballs were fantastic.  They were large and meaty without being dense nor dry.  We enjoyed how they were almost crumbly without falling apart.  The duck gaminess really came through in an appealing manner which was aided by the lightly sweet tomato sofrito with onions.  To brighten things up, there was a green olive tapenade as well.  Staying with the meats, we had the Skirt Steak with valdeon cheese butter, smashed fingerlings, red onion marmalade and mustard seed.  Prepared medium-rare (but closer to rare), the steak was beautifully tender.  It was rested properly where the juices stayed within.  Loved the sharp aromatics of the blue cheese as it soaked into the tender potatoes.

One of my favorite items was the Octopus with fingerlings, smoked paprika and olives.  The large tentacle couldn't have been anymore tender while still maintaining a pleasant bite.  It was nicely charred and well-seasoned.  However, the smokiness and earthiness of the paprika really came through.  The charred lemon on the side really brought things to life with a smoky brightness.  We ended off with the Original BFC Fried Chicken with DC mumbo sauce, garlic toast and kale, manchego and fennel salad.  The fried half chicken was firmly crunchy (although the batter was a bit dry) with moist meat inside.  Combined with the sauce, it almost ate like Korean fried chicken.  Interestingly, the best part was the baby kale salad as it was dressed with lime and boasted a bevy of cheese.  Overall, Bravas Bar was a surprise as we randomly chose it as our dinner destination after we exited the highway to find a washroom.  Food was good and service was attentive.

The Good:
- Generally solid eats
- Fair pricing
- Attentive service

The Bad:
- Fried chicken was good but the batter was dry and a touch mealy

Havana

I remember the first time I blogged about Havana out on Commercial Drive.  I remarked that, although their Cubano was tasty, it was not actually a Cubano.  Rather, it was a sandwich that resembled a burger which contained some of the ingredients of a Cubano.  As you can ascertain, authenticity was not a thing at old Havana.  I returned many years later and they had changed things up.  They added a theatre and their food was remarkably different.  Now, they have been taken over by the group that runs Postmark Brewing, Belgard Kitchen, and Vancouver Urban Winery.  We recently visited the place to see whether the change was a good one or not.

They now sport a more Latin tapas-themed menu and as such, we had to get the Patatas Bravas with garlic aioli and bravas sauce.  In terms of taste, this dish was on point with the smoky paprika really coming though while tempered by the creamy and aromatic aioli.  However, the cubes of fried potatoes were far too dense and firm.  They were underdone and not very crispy.  Fortunately, the next dish was remarkably better in the Avocado Tostones featuring twice-fried plantains, cotija cheese and pico de gallo. Although a touch soft from the wet ingredients on top, the plantains were mostly crispy and a bit nutty.  Ingredients were super fresh and light which meant this was a pleasant little bite.

Onto the possibly the best dish of the bunch was the Mussels Espana sporting 1lb of Salt Spring Island mussels, Two Rivers chorizo, cohiba sauce, white wine, tomato and grilled sourdough.  Beyond the buttery and extremely briny mussels, the broth was robust and zesty.  There was a nice spice that was balanced by an appealing tanginess.  Loved the chorizo as it not only added a meatiness, it was also aromatic.  We also got one of their flatbreads with the Porchetta.  There wasn't anything necessarily wrong with this dish as it featured a crispy crust with fairly nice leoparding.  It was nutty and chewy.  However, the combination of white cheddar, banana, mojo onions and cracklin was fairly flat.  There was no pop.  This could've used some form of spice or tang to bring it to life.

Okay, let's get the Cubano with porchetta, honey ham, swiss cheese, dill pickles and yellow mustard on a house Cuban bun.  Was it better than the original they had here?  Definitely.  This was pressed with a crunchy buttery exterior giving way to melty cheese and the saltiness of the ham and pickles.  Was it better than the ones I've had in Miami?  No, but this was pretty good for Vancity.  Couldn't say the same for the fries as they were just as dense as the patatas bravas.  Lastly, we got the Paella Negra with squid ink, prawns, mussels, chorizo, peas and sofrito.  Although lacking a rice crust, the paella was okay.  The texture of the rice was good being chewy.  It was fairly well-seasoned with some brininess.  Seafood was well-executed.  Overall, we thought the food at Havana was hit and miss.  A little more refinement is needed to bring the food up to the location and ambiance of the place.

The Good:
- Great patio
- Great location
- Good vibe

The Bad:
- Food is hit and miss

Poquitos Comida & Cantina

Back in November, I had walked by a little small restaurant a few steps away from Crowbar.  I didn't pay much attention to it.  A few days later, I walked past it again and people were enjoying brunch and instagramming.  Poquito's eh?  I looked it up and apparently, they serve up various Latin American and Mexican treats along with a selection of cocktails.  So before going to watch Aquaman, Viv and I decided this would be a great place for some pre-movie drinks and eats.

Since we arrived just a bit past opening at 5:00pm, I was able to take advantage of their Wings and a Beer.   Although the portion was on the smaller side, the Alitas de Pollo  were quite good.  We got them dressed in sriracha revolver beet and tequila.  The wings themselves were moist and not overdone while the skin was slightly crispy and well-rendered.  I found the beet flavour to be muted, but there was a balanced spiciness. We were also served a complimentary bowl of Tortilla Chips and other root veggie chips.  We enjoyed them being house-made, but they were on the greasier-side and some were not actually crispy.  Whatever, they were a bonus anyways.

Onto another appie, we had the Honduran Ceviche featuring coconut ginger lime snapper served with poquitos chips.  This also had a noticeable heat to it, which was to our liking.  The fish was tender and fresh with the tropical taste of coconut and the brightness of lime as well as the sharp hit of ginger.  We felt the flavours were truly balanced which made the whole dish an enjoyable eat.

To get a taste of the menu, we ended up with the El Carne Way Platter for 2.  This is a steal at $30.00 IMO.  Since it included Alitas de Pollo once again, we chose a different flavour in Gigi's hot sauce and yes they were indeed spicy.  Just barely not over-the-top, but definitely a good compliment to the beer.  Yucca Fries were crispy while the smoked pear salad was mild and a nice cool-down from the spice.  My favourite item on the plate was the Street Corn tossed in queso fresca, diablo sauce and cilantro.  It was creamy, sweet and slightly smoky with spice.  The meaty and tender chorizo was nice, but needed much more char and warming as it was cold.  Finally, the sliced flank steak was nicely prepared being meaty and tender.  The side of chimichurri was almost creamy and aromatic.  Could've used more garlic punch though.  Overall, Poquitos was a pleasant experience from the food to the cozy dining space.

The Good:
- We felt the service was friendly and genuine
- Cozy space
- Carne platter is a good deal

The Bad:
- Not good for bigger groups
- Chorizo was cold and not grilled enough

Polito's Latin Café

Not to repeat myself once again (but I'll do it anyways), but when people claim that Vancouver has a diverse eats, I would like to disagree.  Yes, it is true we have a wealth of Asian cuisine (and very good I might add), however, we aren't very diverse beyond that.  In fact, we have a lack of everything else including Latin eats.  We do have some Mexican restaurants, where only some of them are even remotely authentic and/or good.  All the other Central/South American countries are either poorly or not even represented in the Vancouver food scene.

So when Hilda suggested that Diana and I meet up at the newly opened Polito's Latin Café on the Coquitlam/PoCo border, we were both intrigued and excited.  We started off with some Papusas including the Revuelta (with pork, beans, cheese and sweet pepper) and the Queso (with cheese & zucchini).  Unlike some versions I've had in the past, these were not heavy nor greasy.  They were fairly "light" for a papusa.  Naturally, I personally enjoyed the meat version more as there was more inherent robust flavour.  Loved the cheese in both as they were not the greasy North American type.  These were served with a side of spicy slaw and a mild tomato sauce.  There was no doubt that the crunchy and spiced slaw helped elevate the impact of the dish.

Next up, we moved onto some Tacos including Al Pastor, Carne Asada, Pollo and Veggie.  These were neatly constructed and appealing in appearance.  Sometimes, Tacos don't look so pretty, but these were good.  I thought the Pollo (pulled chicken, cilantro, cream & pico de gallo) was the best of the bunch as it was well-seasoned while being sufficiently tender.  Although it looked dry, it really wasn't.  I found the meats in both the carne asada and al pastor to be on the drier side, but that is pretty much par for the course with these 2 types of meats.  They were still good though with nice caramelization and meatiness.  The veggie was surprisingly good especially with the addition of caramelized plantain.

Onto the bigger plates, we tried the Bandeja Polito's with well-done chopped rib eye steak, beans, rice topped with a fried egg, maduro fried plantain, guacamole and pico de gallo.  With similar elements as a cheesesteak, the meat was crispy and well-seared.  Hence, there was a smoky caramelized flavour.  This would've went well with a hand-made tortilla (add $1.00).  We also had the Mar Y Tierra with a marinated skirt steak topped with grilled prawns.  On the side, there was rice, black beans and pico de gallo.  The steak itself was not super tender, but I found it sufficient and still tasty.

As for our desserts, we had the Tres Leche and Chocolate Flan.  They looked rather ordinary, but man, they were very good.  Light and fluffy, the tres leche cake was purposefully sweet (sometimes, this dessert is too sweet).  The flan was nicely smokey and caramelized where it sat atop a moist chocolately cake.  As you can tell, we enjoyed our meal at Polito's.  Sure, some things could've been a bit better, but overall, the food was appealing and definitely a nice break from all the Asian food we eat all the time (yes, #firstworldproblems).

The Good:
- Super friendly people
- Quality food
- Love those desserts

The Bad:
- Meats could be a bit more tender and moist
- Menu could be larger

Chicha

Sometimes, I believe we go through certain themes when it comes to our food adventures after Monday night softball.  We went through the dumpling phase one year and then moved onto hot pot (not sure why since it was Summer...).  This year, we've only played a handful of games, but for the second time, we hit up a Latin restaurant in Chicha.  Mind you, if this trend continues, I'm not sure if there are enough Latin restaurants to go around.  As I've said before, Vancouver has a diverse food scene - in Asian food that is...

Seated at the long narrow table at the front, it was a great place to hang out, but not so much when it came to plate management. Thankfully, they expedited our dishes in a timed and orderly fashion.  For starters, we had the Plantain Chips and Papas Fritas.  Light and crunchy, the plantain chips were not greasy to the touch.  The accompanying trio of aji sauces was a nice combination of heat (aji pepper), herbs (cilantro) and creaminess. Well-executed, the Kennebec potato fries were crispy with rocoto chili. On the side, the Peruvian tartar sauce was chunky and creamy with a touch of spice.

Onto some daily features, we dug into the Baby Back Ribs with orange aji panca glaze with green beans and maple bacon potato salad.  Sweet, sticky and a bit spicy, the ribs were fall-off-the bone tender.  Underneath, there was a cold potato salad that exhibited a sweet tang to go along with the firm crunch of the green beans. We also had the Chicken & Waffles featuring fried chicken breast, yuca waffle, bacon jam and maple syrup.  We found the waffle to be dense, yet not heavy.  It was almost like a bread pudding when combined with the sweet gravy.  Essentially chicken strips, the fried chicken was moist with a super light breading.

Strangely resembling a poutine, the Lomo Saltado consisted of Pemberton Meadows beef, kennebec fries, red onion, peppers and tomato.  Although the slices of beef were on point in terms of doneness as well as being succulent, there was very little of it.  With the listed ingredients, the flavours reflected their presence with tangy sweetness.  The fries remained crunchy due to the limited amount of "sauce". Our one vegetarian item was the Tacu Tacu de Locra de Zapallo which was crispy lima bean cakes, butternut squash stew, Parmesan and fried quail egg. I found the lima bean cakes to be firm and chewy.  As much as I enjoyed the sweet squash, this plate was missing something (oh yeah...  meat!).

Ending off the savoury items, we had the Arroz con Pato featuring Yarrow Meadows duck confit, coriander and dark beer rice. Fork tender and well-seasoned with a nicely rendered skin, the duck was well-executed. As for the rice, it was firm, yet saucy with a mild background hoppiness.  To fulfill the dessert quota (because Bear was in the house), we had the Picarone or sweet potato and pumpkin Peruvian donuts with spiced honey and raspberry sauce.  Part fritter and part cruller, these donuts were super crispy with a light fluffy interior.  There was just enough honey for sweetness while the raspberry sauce added the necessary tartness.  In the end, we were pretty satisfied with the food at Chicha.  Yah, it's not really Peruvian food, but they do admit to being "Peruvian-inspired".  On that note, they do succeed.

The Good:
- Decent eats
- Okay pricing
- Hip

The Bad:
- Smallish portions
- Not Peruvian, for those food snobs

CinCin "Gods of the Grill" Dinner

Fresh off attending Araxi's Longtable Dinner in Pemberton, I was invited another Top Table Group event.  This one was held at CinCin Ristorante + Bar and featured a collaboration between Executive Chef Andrew Richardson and guest chef, renowned Argentinian Chef Francis Mallmann.  Living up to the event's namesake and Chef Mallmann's expertise in open-fire cooking, 5 parking spots in front of CinCin were cordoned off for the grilling spectacle.  Drawing quite the crowd along Robson Street, an army of chefs were preparing salmon, salt-crusted halibut, beets, fruit and beautiful whole rib roasts hanging over an open fire.  For all this work, the result would be 2 separate tasting events on back-to-back nights.  I attended the 4-course meal with choices in each course ($99.00).

For my first, I decided on the Smashed Beets with garlic chips, arugula & goat cheese. Hidden beneath the peppery arugula was a large yellow beet that had been pressed down onto a hot grill.  Hence, there was extreme caramelization in terms of its appearance and taste.  The smoky and sweet exterior of the beet was elevated by the impactful garlic chips.  Since the beet itself was not seasoned aggressively, the nuggets of salty goat cheese did the heavy lifting.  For my next dish, I had the Salt-Crusted Halibut prepared in the "infiernillo" with salmoriglio and burnt kale salad.  The tender flakes of halibut were nicely accented by the salmoriglio consisting of parsley, oregano, lemon, garlic and olive oil.  Yes, this is somewhat similar to chimichurri except being lighter and acidic.  I really liked the kale salad as the leaves retained an appealing chewiness while completely cooked with a noticeable smokiness.  There was, however, a bit too much salt for my liking.

Forget about everything else, my focus was on the third course!  With a cut that made me full by just looking at it, the Slow Roasted Rib-Eye on the bone dared me to eat it all.  That I did!  For some at the table, the meat was too rare, but for me, I didn't mind it because the meat was still sufficiently tender and full of flavour due to the copious amount of fat.  Furthermore, the flavour quotient was elevated with the generous smear of chimichurri on top.  It was plenty garlicky, salty and herby.  The side of domino potatoes were soft, yet firm enough to retain its shape with each slice.  Lastly, there was a choice between a fruit dessert or a sinful platter of Chocolate Nemisis, Napoleon, Dulce de Leche and Lemon Tart.  Guess what I chose?  Starting off with the nemesis, it was rich and decadent.  There was a muted sweetness sandwiched in between bitterness.  I found the Napoleon really sweet while the dulce de leche to be even sweeter.  It was creamy and rich though.  My favourite was the lemon tart by far.  The firm crust was buttery and texturally on point.  As for the charred lemon curd, it was purposefully sweet while equally tangy.  This was a sweet (literally) finish to an interesting meal that was definitely one-of-a-kind in Vancouver.

*All food, beverages and gratuities were comped*

The Good:
- One-of-a-kind experience
- Definitely enough food

The Bad:
- Rib eye was on the rare side (depending on your preference)