Takenaka Uni Bar

I've been a fan of Takenaka since the beginning of his food truck days.  Actually, even when he was with Suika.  His food has always been top quality coupled with on point execution.  It was almost shocking that he was able to produce such high-end eats from a food truck!  Well, that started to change when he opened up his onigri spot and it has gone even up another level with Takenaka Uni Bar in the former location of Rodney's Oyster in Gastown.  They didn't have to do much in the way of renovations as the spot doesn't look worse for wear with a rustic seafood theme.

We were there to try as many of their signature items as we could being with some small plates including the Uni Toast.  This featured a toasted white bread finger topped with uni, negitoro and ikura.  Nothing complex about this, but it was ultimately delicious.  The simplicity allowed the ingredients to shine including the sweet Hokkaido uni, buttery tuna belly with bright green onion and the pops of brininess from the ikura.  Another dish we had was the Hotate Carpaccio where the sliced scallop was buttery soft and sweet with the hint of the sea.  It sad atop mesclun greens and onion.  On top, we found wasabi mayo, tobiko, garlic chips, kaiware and house-made dressing.  I really enjoyed the scallops, but maybe there was a little too much going on on the plate.

To make sure we got enough Uni, I ordered both the Uni Temaki and Uni Wagyu Nigiri.  Just by presentation alone, both the temaki and nigiri looked super appetizing.  Due to the high-quality ingredients, these were utterly delicious and supremely fresh.  The uni was silky smooth and sweet while the thin slice of Wagyu was buttery and required little-to-no chewing.  Loved that for the temaki, we had little soy squeeze capsules.  We could customize how much flavour we wanted to add.  Hidden beneath the uni and ikura, there was buttery negitoro with some sushi rice.

Keeping the uni train going, we had the Uni Chawanmushi with ikura and shiso.  This was clean-tasting where the ingredients were at the forefront but also in balance.  Although the shiso had the initial impact with its usual herbaceousness, the sweetness of uni and brininess of the ikura announced themselves shortly after.  The egg custard itself was smooth and silky with minimal moisture.  For some odd reason, I also ordered the Seasoned Quail Egg topped with chili oil condiment.  Somewhat like a mini-ramen egg, the quail egg was complimented well by the mildly spicy and smoky chilis and oil.

Adding more sushi rice to our meal we had 2 Onigiri including the Black Cod & Ikura and the Uni & Real Crab Meat.  These were quite large and plump with warm seasoned sushi rice.  The black cod was buttery soft and well-seasoned being sweet and savoury.  The pops of ikura added brininess.  As for the crab & uni, it was more subtle and naturally sweet.  The soft springy texture of the crab and the creaminess of the uni made each bite rather tasty.  Only thing I would've liked to see is the sushi rice be a touch drier.

Continuing with Wagyu, we were served the DIY Wagyu BBQ with a hot stone puck.  The trick here is to cook the meat quickly as the stone cools down fast.  So we got right to work and was able to cook all the slices of beef.  Mind you, the second round of beef did not sear up as well.  Anyways, the beef was super buttery and flavourful.  The sweet and spicy dip helped balance off the savoury heaviness of the meat.  But really, the meat was marinated enough that it could stand on its own.

Another Takenaka classic is their Aburi Sushi.  We ended up with the Omakase Aburi Sushi featuring seared salmon with a variety of condiments on top.  I thought these were pretty good where they were larger than most other versions.  The rice was warm (but a bit soft) and the sauces on top were quite tasty.  Something that seemed rather bougie was the Lobster & Chips.  So really, it was a whole lobster tail, cut in half, and deep fried in tempura batter (maybe the batter could've been cooked a bit longer).  This was served with crispy fresh-cut fries.  The lobster was cooked perfectly retaining its moisture while having a rebound texture.

The most epic dish we had was the Large Takenaka Luxury Seafood Platter consisting of 5 kinds of sashimi, Hokkaido uni tray, a dozen oyseters and all the fixins'.  Yah, this was large and with the dry ice, it was also showy.  But looking past that, the components were high-quality.  The royal miyagi oysters were shucked properly and were sweet with a certain creaminess.  Sashimi had a nice sheen with a taste of the sea.  There was soy and real wasabi as well as hot sauce for the oysters.

Back to the cooked stuff, we had 3 dishes including the Grilled Pork Cheek, Manga Wagyu Hamburg Steak and Grilled Black Cod.  Meaty with a buttery rebound texture, the pork cheek was exactly how we like it.  It was nicely grilled with caramelizaiton on the outside and topped with a salty green onion and white onion relish.  It was pretty pungent.  Looking like a meat on a bone, the hamburg steak was medium-dense and tender with a noted beef flavour.  It was beautifully seared on the outside.  As for the black cod, it was buttery and flaky with a fermented saltiness from the miso marinade.  On the side, we found a creamy and sweet uni sauce.

We moved onto the carb portion of our meal with a rice dish first.  It was the fully-loaded Luxury Deluxe Seafood Bowl sporting uni, negitoro, herring roe, real crab, cuttlefish, boiled shrimp, baby sardines, ikura, mountain yam and shiso.  Now if you think that was a lot of components, try mixing it together and taking a spoonful...  Yes, it was full of different seafoody flavours that were sweet and briny.  Personally, I could've done without the mountain yam since it made the bowl of rice sticky.

With yet another carb, we had the Lobster Uni Ramen.  This featured a rich chicken soup with the creamy sweetness of uni.  It included a whole lobster tail, chashu, seasoned egg, bamboo shoots and green onion with thin noodles.  Other than the same tempura lobster as the previous dish, the main draw here was the soup.  It was so silky and naturally sweet.  It would be shame to not drink the whole thing!  The noodles were not quite al dente due to the thinness, but it wasn't mushy.   Egg was perfect with a custardy centre and plenty of flavour from the mirin.

As for sweets, we were served 3 dishes in the Salt Caramel Pudding, O5 Matcha Panna Cotta and Chocolate Terrine with Earnest Tahitian Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Of the 3, my favourite was the salt caramel pudding as it was definitely sweet and salty while being creamy.  The terrine was good too but maybe because of the ice cream.  Panna Cotta was a bit stiff and could've used more matcha.  Overall, the food at Takenaka Uni Bar was fantastic.  Sure, some things could be more refined, but in general, we enjoyed every dish.  Prices are on the higher end, but the quality of the ingredients reflect that.

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

The Good:
- High quality ingredients
- Delicious
- Nice vibe

The Bad:
- Sushi rice could be a bit drier
- Tempura batter could be fried a bit longer

Smitty's Oyster House

At one point in my life (like before I was 20), I wasn't a really fan of oysters - raw or cooked.  However, as I ate more and more of them, I started to like oysters in all forms.  So going for happy hour oysters is a real thing for me and due to the recent social media hype about Smitty's (has been on my list for awhile), we decided to hit them up precisely for their happy hour (and the oysters).  If this location looks familiar to you, it used to the the Five Point...

So here we go with a dozen of Sunseeker Oysters complete with all the condiments including grated horseradish, lemon wedges, vinaigrette, cocktail sauce, hot sauce and habenaro hot sauce.  I've had Sunseekers before and they are somewhat similar to kushis except for being slightly larger with a more pronounced pouch.  In terms of flavour, they are a bit more briny in my opinion but equally sweet.  These were fresh and shucked perfectly with no shell fragments.

We also got the happy hour Salt Spring Island Mussels in a white wine, garlic, shallots, lemon and thyme butter.  This also came with frites on top and aioli.  Being SSI mussels, these were plump and decently large.  They were cooked beautifully being delicate and still juicy.  Nice brininess and natural sweetness accented by the properly cooked-down white wine broth.  I would've liked a bit more salt in the broth, but it wasn't a deal-breaker.  Crispy frites too.

Everything was served on a platter (they tend to do that here) and here we see the Crab Cakes as well as the Seared Scallops.  Although the crab cakes were filled with mostly crab with little filler, they were quite dense.  Even the breading was dense and heavy.  I did like the flavour though as it was full of crab essence and sweetness.  As for the scallops, they were good with a nice sear while still being tender.  They were well-seasoned and the pea puree was a nice compliment.  I also enjoyed the smokiness of the bacon with the crunchy cabbage.

Lastly, we had the Sablefish Risotto with lemon, broccolini and mushrooms.  Featuring crispy skin, the sablefish was beautifully buttery and moist.  It was properly seasoned too.  Underneath, the risotto was cheesy and perfectly cooked.  It was a tad on the clumpier side (as it didn't spread), but it was still good.  Overall, the food was quite acceptable at Smitty's and the oysters were yum.  I would come back.

The Good:
- Properly shucked fresh oysters
- Proteins cooked right
- The service we got was on point

The Bad:
- On the pricier side, but what isn't these days
- Crab cakes were dense

Fanny Bay Oyster Bar & Shellfish Market

Although this is my first post ever on Fanny Bay Oyster Bar, I've actually visited the place on several occasions.  It's just that I've never ordered enough to write something substantial about it.  Personally, I feel it is unfair for a restaurant to be judged on one or two dishes.  Finally, I ordered enough to justify a post.  I guess it should be included in the blog anyways since it was awarded Michelin-recommended status recently.  Also, it was a convenient stop just before heading to the Canucks game.  Yes, they lost...

So we made it for happy hour and started with their selection of Oysters off that menu.  From bottom and clockwise, we had the Taylor Pacific, Sand Dune and Sun Seekers.  We found the Taylors to be big and really meaty.  They were a bit earthy and plenty sweet.  The flatter sand dunes were briny and clean-tasting.  We enjoyed the sun seekers the most as they reminded us of kushis being small and delicate with a light  and sweet briny liquor.

Staying with shellfish, we had the Clams & Mussels in a classic white wine sauce.  This was prepared properly where there was not one unopened shell.  Both the clam and mussel meat were buttery and plump.  They were completely seasoned by the aromatic and completely reduced white wine.  There was ample amount of minced garlic that had completely-flavoured the sauce.  There is also an option to add bread to this dish.

We got one dish that was not on the happy hour menu being the Seared Scallops & Soy-Glazed 5-Spice Pork Belly with cauliflower purée, roasted cauliflower, carrots and radicchio in sherry vinaigrette.  As much as fatty pork belly is delicious and sinful, I prefer more meat than fat.  The cubes in this dish were mostly meat with just the right amount of complimentary fat.  Not only were these a bit leaner, the fat itself was well-rendered.  Hence, the meat was tender and juicy while the fat wasn't flabby.  Good amount of caramelized glaze on the outside.  As for the scallops, they were nicely seared and a bit rare inside.  They were buttery and sweet.   The bit of acidity from the vinaigrette kept things bright and lessened the heaviness.

As a side, we also had the Atlantic Lobster Mac sporting lobster bisque sauce and panko gremolata.  Due to the use of large shell pasta, we found pockets of sauce that was full of lobster essence.  With that being said, we wished there was more of it as some shells were dry and a bit bland.  Even though not visible in the picture, there was a decent amount of lobster claw meat hidden within.  Pasta was al dente and the crumbs added an aromatic crunch.

Lastly, we had the Truffle Fries with a side of aioli.  These fresh-cut fries were quite good with a crispy exterior and a tender potatoey interior.  They were lightly truffled, which was good, but we would've liked to see more parm.  Overall, this was much like all of my previous visits where the food was solid and the oysters were fresh and shucked properly.  Also like previous times, this is a great place to drop by just before a game or event at the stadiums nearby.

The Good:
- Nice variety of oysters at all times
- Solid eats
- Great place for just before the game or event

The Bad:
- Seating can be a bit tight
- Can get pricey, but what is cheap these days anyways

Harbour Oyster Bar

By virtue of its location, Vancouver is not only known for being the hub of Asian Cuisine (specifically Chinese), but for a great place for seafood.  Fresh seafood can be found on most menus and there are restaurants featuring seafood (Blue Water, Coast, Joe Fortes).  However, most of them are rather expensive and high-end dining.  What if I told you there is a place on the Drive that features seafood but is much more casual and reasonably-priced?  Harbour Oyster Bar is exactly that and they offer happy hour oysters @ $1.50 each from 11:00am - 5:00pm everyday!  We checked them out a few times after Sunday morning hockey at Brit nearby.

So about those Oysters...  They have been featuring Chef's Creek the last while for $1.50/shuck during their happy hour (which is almost all the time except for dinner).  All the condiments are included such as horseradish, mignonette, cocktail sauce, lemon wedge and an array of Tabasco.  Don't let the price fool you because these oysters were creamy and slightly briny with a clean finish.  One of the better deals in town considering the extended HH.

Also on their HH menu is the Steamed Clams in butter, garlic and white wine served with garlic bread for $12.00.  These were prepared perfectly with every clam being open and buttery soft while retaining a bite.  They were briny and sweet while fully flavoured with the broth underneath.  The side of charred garlic bread was the perfect vessel to soak up all of the buttery clam juices. 

Another HH option is the Garlic Prawns in Cajun lemon butter sauce for $12.00.  These were also quite good with buttery prawns that had a sweet snap.  These were tasty on their own, but the ample and sinful butter sauce was flavourful with the acidity of the lemon and accompanying lemon wedge.  Our only suggestion would be a side of the same garlic bread as the clams to soak up the butter.

Out last HH item was the Lobster Poutine, also for $12.00, with jalapeño, corn, cheesy béchamel and cheese.  This was only average as there wasn't a whole lot of lobster to be found.  Fries were crispy and held up well to the sauce and the addition of corn provided pops of sweetness.  Didn't notice the jalapeño much.  I found the sauce to be creamy and mildly flavoured with sweetness.  Could've used more spice.

Onto some bigger items, I tried the Oyster Po'Boy on my initial visit.  This consisted of 3 mini-brioche buns with one fried oyster each dressed in remoulade, slaw, corn and tomatoes.  This was so delicious as the oysters were creamy and briny while sporting a crispy spiced batter.  Brioche was soft and toasted and each one just ate so well.  On the side, the made-to-order Boston Chowda had to be one of the best I've had in town.  Lightly creamy, well-spiced and full of fresh clams and mussels, this featured natural briny and sweet flavours.

Milhouse has been one of most trusted eating companions since the start of this blog and I thought I should actually mention him by name as he ordered the Blackened Cod Sandwich with asian slaw and sambal mayo.  Although the piece of fish was a bit small, it was moist and flaky with a noticeable spice crust on the outside.  The slaw was crunchy while the mayo was only mildly spicy.  Brioche was toasted and held everything together being airy and soft. 

On my other visit, I split my Lobster Prawn Rolls with Tonya (not her real name) so I could get half of her sandwich (more on that later).  These featured the same soft brioche buns as the po'boy.  Inside, there was a good amount of both lobster and prawn which were texturally on point and also dressed just enough.  The side of fries, much like in the other dishes, were crunchy and stayed as such until the end.

Okay, the item I shared with Tonya was the Lobster Grilled Cheese on grilled sourdough.  This was really good with plenty of melted cheese and an equal amount of tender and moist lobster.  The sourdough was buttery and evenly crunchy that offered up the right texture contrasting the cheese and lobster.   So this is pretty clear, but I'll reiterate - the food at Harbour is solid and reasonably priced.  A good place to get your seafood fix in a casual spot with great service to boot.

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Reasonable pricing
- Good service

The Bad:
- Seating is somewhat tight