From this, we headed off to something much lighter in the Carrot and Fennel Salad with Summer greens, pears, walnuts, and comté dressed in orange & ginger vinaigrette. As Maggi mentioned, this was a good transition from the heavy rillette as we progressed towards the main protein. Really enjoyed the comté as the saltiness with a touch of sweetness complimented the veggies and crunch from the walnuts. The salad was lightly dressed where it allowed us to taste the individual components.
*Dinner was complimentary*
The Good:
- Well-prepared
- Well-portioned
- Lovely setting
The Bad:
- Well, it is in Squamish, but make a day of it
Over 6 years ago, Nikita and Bluebeard suggested that we meet up at Ban Dok Chee for Thai food out in Langley. Being residents of the community, I trusted their judgement and made the trek out there from Burnaby (actually not that far really). Turns out BDC happened to be a little gem of a place in the burbs with great Thai food at reasonable prices. I went back a few times on my own and also for some food challenges that they participated in. I had mentioned this to Mijune and she was game to try it out. However, instead of merely eating at the restaurant, we were treated to an exclusive peak into their private dining space nearby. Lavishly outfitted, the BDC Culinary Academy not only provides cooking lessons/parties, they can be booked for private events as well.
We were started off with a literal bite (Ma Hor) in the form of minced shrimp, ground peanut, sweet preserved radish, palm sugar, garlic, coriander root, ground pepper, cilantro served on heart-shaped pineapple. Even though this was small in size, wow this was quite the flavour bomb. Essentially, the diced prawn was only there for texture as the combination of peanuts, palm sugar and crunch from the salty radish hit on all of the notes. Add in the sweet and acidic pineapple and it was truly an appetizing start to the meal. Next, we had Miang Kham consisting of shallots, red bird's eye chili, ginger, garlic, lime and rind, roasted coconut, tamarind palm sugar, peanuts and dried shrimp on a betel leaf. I've had this before at Bob Likes Thai Food and this was very similar except more spicy. All of the flavours came through in layers with the initial hit of sweetness coming first and the heat coming at the end.
Next, we had something really simple in the Pla Haeng Taeng Mo, where it was curiously complex tasting. It was merely cubes and balls of fresh watermelon topped with crispy shallots, sugar and crunchy snakehead fish jerky. If you can imagine, the one ingredient that made each bite unique was the snakehead fish jerky. It was mildly salty, fishy (in a good way) and of course crispy with a slight chewiness. Think of salted watermelon and this would be it with a twist. Refreshing palate cleanser of sorts that was also savoury. Onto something more typical, we had the Appetizer Platter consisting of Chicken & Pork Satay, Golden Wontons and Spring Rolls accompanied by Thai peanut sauce, Num Jin Jaow and plum sauce. I've had this before and this was good where the skewers were nicely seared and tender. Wontons were super crunchy with a moist meaty filling with garlic, cilantro and black pepper.
Continuing with the small plates, we had the Pla' Goong or herb prawn salad with prawns, lime leaves, lime juice, tamarind juice dressing, red onion, lemongrass, mint, green apple & Thai chili on a bed of butter lettuce. This was definitely on the sweeter side, but still nicely complimented by the acidity of the lime juice as well as little nuggets of pomelo. Again, there was noted spice due to the addition of red bird's eye chili. The prawn itself was large and cooked perfectly exhibiting a meaty snap. Next, we were served both the Tom Kha Gai in a coconut shell and the Tom Yum Goong. Although both were good, I really enjoyed the tom kha gai due to the coconut milk. So aromatic and fragrant combined with hits of lemongrass, lime leaves and spice. The tom yum was appealingly tangy with an appealing amount of brininess and noted spiciness.
Things got serious when the Larb Moo was presented in custom carved pumpkin kabocha and butter squash. As much as this was impressive to look at, the actual product was even better. Often, larb can be dry and somewhat bland at many of the Thai restaurants in town. This one was moist, light and full of flavour from the fish sauce and especially the spicy chilis. We ate this with the provided sticky rice. Even more majestically plated, the Kanom Jeen Nam-Prik sported rice noodles served with minced prawns nutty, sweet and coconutty spicy curry sauce and fresh vegetables including dill, cucumber, dried Thai chilies, green beans and banana blossom. Lots of intricate knife-work was needed to prep the ingredients. When we mixed all of the ingredients together with the sauce, we got slippery noodles with plenty of sweetness and brininess as well as a multitude of textures. Add in the chilis (including the seeds) and the spice level went into overdrive.
Of course we didn't forget the more typical dishes including a duo of curries. As much as Chicken Green Curry can be somewhat of a clichéd dish at a Thai restaurant, this one was really good. Sure, it sported the usual creaminess and aromatics from the coconut milk, but there was balanced spice, sweetness and brininess as well. However, what made this even better was the tender chicken as well as the plethora of baby eggplant. Normally, we'd find the long Chinese eggplant, but this was made more authentically. Next, we were presented with the Lamb Shank Massaman Curry. This was also a flavour bomb with an initial hit of sweetness giving way to the classic comfort from the cinnamon, cloves and star anise. There was some heat, but traditionally, Massaman curries are more mild and this didn't deviate. The luxurious meat of the lamb shank was a perfect match to the spices in the curry. It was generally tender and gelatinous.
Our last 2 dishes consisted of 2 more classics including the Chicken Cashew Nut and Pad Thai. Exhibiting plenty of wok heat, the chicken cashew nut was flavourful with a touch of spice to balance off the sweetness. Unlike many versions I've had, the chicken in this dish was super tender and moist while still exhibiting the caramelized crispiness from the wok fry. I particularly enjoyed that the dish was not wet with any residual moisture at the bottom of the plate. What you see in the picture of the pad Thai was what happened after I opened up the omelette. Inside, the rice noodles were dry and al dente with plenty of tang and sweetness from the tamarind and palm sugar. We also found the traditional pressed tofu and preserved radish as well. In addition to the egg being on the outside of the dish, something a bit different was the perfectly seared scallops on the side. 
For dessert, we were presented with a beautiful Strawberry & Raspberry Ice Cream dessert. Also on the plate was taro custard, khanom thuai (Thai coconut milk custard). Although the ice cream was on the icier side, it was truly refreshing and natural-tasting. It wasn't very sweet, which was prefect since the custards made up for it. They were aromatic and had a good mouth feel. Our last dessert was the Bua Loy Khai Whan or taro rice dumplings in coconut milk. Traditionally it's served with sweeten boiled egg, but here they used meringue for a French-inspired twist. I found this to be quite good with relatively fluffy taro dumplings. Loved how the meringue added a creaminess, yet at the same time, it was pretty sweet too. These desserts pretty much summed up the meal here at the BDC Culinary Academy. Except for a few creative alterations, the food was authentic Thai with a wealth of flavours and noted spice. Yes, you can get most of the same dishes at the main Ban Dok Chee restaurant. But if you want the food you see in this post, it needs to be part of a private booking at the Academy.
Generally, food quality and execution are pretty much the most important parts of a meal. it is true that ambiance and service contribute greatly to the experience as well. Now if we can get all those in one package, that would be an ideal situation. However, it is not really all that hard to attain as one could merely plop a fortune on a destination restaurant for instance. Now if you aren't up to spending that kind of cash in addition to traveling to the destination, there is something unique in our own city. I was recently invited to Glowbal's Secret Chef's Table which is essentially a chef's private table in the downstairs kitchen at Glowbal.
Before we descended the stairs to the secret private table, we met in the lounge area where we sipped on martinis and were presented with some appies in the form of Beef Tartare as well as Oysters on the half shell. Presented as a canapé, the beef tartare was a nice little bite featuring buttery beef dressed with enough silky egg and tangy whole grain mustard for effect. The little dollop of horseradish aioli provided some creamy bite. As for the oysters, they were classically accompanied by a cucumber tomato mignonette. This was simple and appetizing that left us ready for the main event. This was a nice way to socialize in the beautiful room at Glowbal (which is what they are known for).
Once seated, we served our first dish consisting of Scallop & Smoked Sablefish Crudo with lime caviar, ginger emulsion and watercress foam. Both the scallop and sablefish were buttery soft and sweet (the scallop more so). Only lightly smoky, the sablefish a bit meatier than the tender scallop. The pops of acidity from the lime caviar kept things bright while the ginger emulsion added another layer of bite. Providing the necessary texture, we found baby cauliflower strewn throughout. Next, we had the Cured Arctic Char with mandarin pudding, shiso bavarois and cucumber gelée. Also buttery, yet firmer than the crudo, the arctic char was flavourful on its own. However, the shiso bavarois was intensely herbal and added a unique accent. Loved the pops of brininess from the roe on top.
Featuring delicious components, the Lobster Ravioli sat atop a salsify and lobster puree. This paired beautifully with the al dente pasta where the creaminess of the sauce was aromatic. Meaty lobster tail meat sat the left of the pasta where it rested on peas and fava beans. I would've liked to see more plump peas here as the firmness detracted from the lobster. On the right, we found a perfectly prepared and seared piece of foie gras. It propped up a fried zucchini blossom stuff with lobster and chives. This was delicately crispy with a filling that was sweet and had an appealing rebound texture. From here, we witnessed first-hand the preparation of the Plum & Champagne Granita with lemon balm. Plenty of dry ice action lead to a tangy and refreshing palate-cleanser.
After our palate-cleanser, we moved onto something meatier in the Seared Japanese Wagyu (yes it was A5!). To say this was sinfully delicious would be an understatement. Seared just enough to activate the fats (so it wouldn't be chewy), the beef was tender and literally melted-in-my-mouth. It was properly seasoned, but the side of black truffle croquette amped up the umaminess. Completing the dish was smoked purple potato and compressed honeydew. More meat lay ahead with the Smoked Pancetta-wrapped Lamb Loin. Spot-on execution once again being medium-rare with crispy pancetta on the outside (and it remarkably stayed adhered to the meat). We also found a fall-apart tender lamb cheek and a crispy lamb rack on the plate. I found the bell pepper succo flavourful enough to provide both moisture and sweetness.
Trying to hit all of the red meats, we had the Venison Loin with beet & blueberry crumbs, fennel purée, roasted date and red currant foam. Beyond the perfectly cooked venison which was moist and tender, the roasted date was the second best thing on the plate. It was so intensely sweet and sticky, the level of impact was substantial. Lightly sweet and earthy, the crumbs were a nice compliment to the venison and the sticky date. Onto dessert, we were presented with the Jivara Chocolate Mousse with feuilletine, caramel and gold. Stunningly plated, the chocolate mousse was contained within the chocolate sphere. It was creamy and purposefully sweet while the feuilletine provided textural crispiness. This was a fine way to end an amazing meal, but we weren't really done.
To officially end things off, 2 plates of Petit Fours were set onto the table. As if we needed any more food! My favourite was the chocolate truffles as they were rich with an appealing bitterness. Now this was all fine and dandy, but the food was only a portion of the experience. Sitting in the kitchen having a private 8-course tasting menu can only be experienced first-hand and words don't do it justice. It is very nice to see that Glowbal is capable of such a refined and well-executed menu. There was no pricing available at the time of this blog post, but I am curious how much this one-of-a-kind experience will set one back.
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