Bag O' Crab

I haven't done a seafood boil in quite some time.  In fact, it was about a year ago at Pier 88 in Lynnwood.  This time around, I was in the Seattle area once again and we made our way out to Kent for Bag o' Crab.  Not sure why we didn't go to Shoreline, as it was closer to where we were staying.  Oh well!  So, this place is much smaller in size than Pier 88 but upon looking at the menu, the pricing seems rather reasonable.  We ended getting a few combos in addition to some sides.

To start off we had the Cajun Fries as well as the Cajun Wings.  Crispy with plenty of seasoning on the outside, the fries were salty and spicy.  Inside, the potato was a bit on the firmer side, but still plenty of natural texture.  As for the wings, they were pretty large and fried until crunchy on the outside.  The skin was somewhat rendered, partially affected by the batter.  As for the meat, it was super juicy and tender.  Wings were well seasoned with some spice.

We ended up with 2 combos but before that, we had an a la carte plate of 1lb of Crawfish, Mussels and Clams each.  For this plate, we added sides of corn, potatoes and sausages.  The choice of sauce for the seafood was garlic butter and hence was non-spicy.  Naturally, the crawfish was a lot of work for just a bit of tail meat.  It wasn't particularly muddy-tasting, so that was a bonus.  The clams and mussels were fresh and all open.  They were cooked properly being buttery.

Onto Combo #3 with a whole Dungeness Crab accompanied by 1lb of shrimp, corn, potatoes and sausage.  As you can probably tell, this was in a completely different sauce than the first plate.  We chose Atomic Sauce (which is a combination of garlic butter, Cajun and lemon pepper) in medium.  This was plenty spicy for us and offered up layers of spice, garlickiness and aromatics.  The crab was fresh with bouncy meat while the shrimp had a snap texture.

We also had Combo #3 with 1lb of King Crab Legs that came with the same items as with the Dungeness Crab.  Really enjoyed the King Crab Legs as they were large and full of fluffy briny and sweet meat.  We had this in Louisiana Flavor in medium.  This was spicy enough with the smokiness and garlickiness.  Loved that the corn wasn't overdone as they were plump, while the potatoes were soft and creamy inside.  Slices of sausages were tender with some rebound.  Overall, the seafood boil at Bag O' Crab was satisfying and reasonably-priced.  Seafood was texturally on point and the sauces were impactful.  Would do this again if I was in the area.

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

The Good:
- Seafood (especially the crab) is texturally on point
- Sauces are impactful
- Pricing is fair

The Bad:
- Place is a bit more bare bones, but it is reflected in the pricing
- We found it a bit cold inside

Bow & Stern (The Amazing Brentwood)

A few Summers ago, we had visited the Abbotsford location of Bow & Stern and came away quite pleased with our meal.  Sure, it wasn't perfect, but for the price, we felt it was decent value.  Fast forward to the present and now they have opened up a brand spanking new location at The Amazing Brentwood.  Situated above Ramen Jinya, this Bow & Stern is rather fancy compared to the one in Abbotsford.  We decided to check it out one Friday night.

We didn't go for any of the appies, instead we had the Hot Seafood Platter.  This consisted of arctic char, lobster tails, tiger prawns, mussels & clams, rice and broccolini.  This was generally quite solid where the prawns were buttery with a sweet snap.  The lobster tails were cooked just right retaining moisture and having that rebound texture.  Clams and mussels were good where the white wine cream broth was served on the side.  It was great to drizzle over the fluffy rice.  Unfortunately, the arctic char was a bit overdone and bland.  Broccolini was excellent being crunchy and vibrant.

For myself, I went for the 2-Piece Cod & Chowder in lieu of the chips.  Being a gluten-free batter, it was somewhat crispy on the outside and plenty gummy on the inside.  It wasn't my favourite.  As for the cod, it was cooked beautifully being moist and flaky.  Loved the tartar as well since it wasn't too thick nor chunky.  As for the Boston Clam Chowder, I quite enjoyed it.  The broth was briny and well-seasoned while the amount of ingredients was sufficient.  It wasn't too rich, which made it easier to finish.

Viv had something a bit lighter in the Salade Niçoise sporting the usual components including seared ahi tuna which was perfectly rare.  It was also bright in flavour and soft in texture.  Nicely salted too.  As for the greens, they were aggressively dressed in a tangy white balsamic dressing which was fine by us.  The usual green beans, olives, potatoes, soft boiled egg and tomatoes were all present.  Loved that he egg wasn't overdone while the potatoes were of the crispy variety.

My daughter opted for her usual in the pan-seared Wild Salmon with dijon horseradish aioli atop rice and broccolini.  The salmon didn't look very moist but in fact it wasn't overdone nor dry (despite the albumin on the side).  It was flaky and mildly seasoned.  The sauce was creamy and not too heavy on the horseradish.  Just like the rice that came with the hot seafood platter, it was fluffy but not too wet.  Also, the broccolini was cooked just enough.

My son decided on an ol' favourite with a twist in the Lobster Grilled Cheese.  This, of course, included Atlantic Lobster, white cheddar, mozzarella and Old Bay cream cheese on grilled sourdough.  It was generally quite good except it was a little lacking on the lobster.  The pieces he did find were great though.  There was plenty of cheese though so it was a solid grilled cheese, especially with the crispy bread.  He went for the yam fries on the side which were crispy.

For my mom, she had the 8oz Top Sirloin with a side of wild mushroom demi-glace (an extra $3).  She asked for it to be prepared rare and it was exactly that.  The char on the outside was crispy and smoky with proper seasoning.  However, the steak wasn't super tender, but understandable considering the cut.  Also, not really sure why she ordered it given it is a seafood restaurant.  We found the mashed potatoes a bit dense, yet still decent.  Broccolini was excellent as with the other dishes.  We found the demi-glace to be too thick though.

Onto dessert, we ordered both the Warm Chocolate Lava Cake as well as the Vanilla Crème Brûlée.  We felt the lava cake was textbook and it offered up moist chocolatey cake with melty chocolate ganache in the middle.  We weren't so fond of the crème brûlée though as it was too thin and also too sweet.  It did have a properly torched sugar topping though.  Overall, we were satisfied by our meal at Bow & Stern but not enough to plan a return visit.  I think there is potential here given the location and seafood-themed menu.  I hope there are some further refinements as time goes by.

The Good:
- Nice dining space
- Most of the seafood was cooked properly
- Excellent service

The Bad:
- Batter for the fish was not very good
- Crème Brûlée was below average

Coast (Lobster Nights)

Now we all know that Coast is Glowbal Group's seafood-focused spot on Alberni Street in Downtown Vancouver.  It is steps away from their sister restaurant Black + Blue and other high end shops.  Personally, I've had many great meals at Coast and it is nice to see that they are offering up a special lobster-themed menu on Sundays and Mondays.  Their Lobster Nights feature a choice of appetizer and entree while including a dessert.  All this for a reasonable price of $65.00 per person.  Jackie and I were invited to try out this menu and of course, we sampled every available option.

To start, we had an Amuse Bouche that was was a Mushroom Arancini with truffle aioli.  A nice little bite with cheesy risotto inside and a crispy exterior.  Truffle aioli added just another earthy touch.  Also separate from the Lobster Nights menu, we had the Chef's Selection of Oysters consisting of Barstool and Raspberry Point.  These oysters were shucked properly and also very fresh.  These were both very similar in taste with a brininess giving way to sweetness.  The Raspberry Points were bigger than the Barstools.

So onto the actual Lobster Nights menu, we tried their appetizers first. You have one choice from 3 including the Crispy Lobster & Prawn Roll. This was solidly constructed with shiso leaf, cucumber and soy paper on the outside.  The whole thing was definitely crispy with chewy sushi rice and crunchy cucumber.  To combat the dryness of the roll, we found a side of yuzu kosho & plum vinegar sauce.

The next appie option was the Lobster Bisque with dill, brandy cream and sourdough croutons.  This was an impactful soup where the lobster aroma really came through.  It was also rich and creamy with the brandy announcing itself throughout.  Interestingly, there was corn in the soup and it did add texture and pops of sweetness, yet, I personally would've left the bisque alone as it was perfect without it.

Last appie option was the Lobster Louie consisting of poached lobster, romaine, soft egg, heirloom tomatoes, radish and avocado.  As you can see, all of the components were fresh and vibrant.  It really showed in the texture as well.  Nice crunch and brightness.  The pieces of lobster were perfectly cooked with a moist rebound and sweetness.  As for the Louie dressing, it was subtle and I only wished there was more tanginess.

Onto the mains, you can also choose one of the following including the Lobster all'Amatriciana.  This pasta was fantastic with a considerable amount of al dente bucatini.  I really enjoyed the pomodoro sauce as it was balanced with enough tanginess that was offset by the fat from the smoked guanciale and pecorino.  There was added sweetness from the onion confit as well.  On top, we found big pieces of lobster tail and claw meat.  This was actually my favourite entree.

Next, you could also choose the classic 1lb Lobster Thermidor.  I honestly haven't seen this dish very often these days and it is primed for a comeback!  It truly helps when the one we were served was properly prepared.  The tender lobster meat was cooked just right and topped with a creamy Hollandaise and then gruyère.  The butteriness and cheesiness made this dish every so sinful, but delicious.  Even the side of chive & buttermilk mashed potatoes were on point.  So silky and well-seasoned.

Last option was the 1lb Grilled Lobster Provençal with chimichurri, jalapeño cornbread, baby carrots and clarified butter.  I was a little confused at first because the chimichurri was not a Provençal sauce.  But in the end, it was a good compliment to the sweet lobster meat.  The brightness and garlickiness combined with the butter was delicious.  Also, the cornbread wasn't just a throw-in, it was sweet and a bit spicy while going really well with that generous pat of butter.

If you were super hungry, you could make any entree a surf & turf for and extra $45.00 with a 10oz Prime Beef Striploin.  We asked for it be prepared medium-rare and it was done so with an even sear on all sides.  The meat was super tender while the exterior benefitted from caramelization and also proper seasoning.  Some red wine jus helped provide some more depth-of-flavour to the perfectly cooked steak.

For dessert, we had the Warm Banana & Coconut Butter Cake with crème anglaise and berries.  Upon the first bite, it was clear they didn't skimp on the butter.  So nutty and aromatic!  The cake was super moist, yet dense enough that there was body and texture.  It was coconutty and only a minor hint of banana.  The crème anglaise was mildly sweet with a vanilla finish.  So the 3-course Lobster Nights dinner is a steal in my mind.  For $65.00 you get enough lobster and food so you will be satisfied.  To top it all, the dishes we had were appealing and prepared properly.

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

The Good:

- All of the dishes available on the Lobster Nights menu are appealing

- Properly-prepared food

- Enough food to be satisfied

The Bad:

- Due to the special menu, Sundays and Mondays are quite busy, you need to be patient

- Would've loved to see a more impactful Louie dressing

Jack's Chowder

Back in 2016, we did a trip to the East Coast of Canada and New England.  In addition to the sights and sounds, we feasted on lobster rolls, chowder and the sort.  That was a dream come true since that type of cuisine is one of my favourites.  There haven't been too many choices for spots that focus solely on chowder and the sort.  Now, from the good people who bring us the Shameless Buns food truck, we have Jack's Chowder, located in their former B&M store.  We finally got out there to check them out.

Getting right to the main event, we did indeed try their New England Clam Chowder in 2 ways.  First was their humongous bowl and then also, served in a sourdough bowl.  To further amp the flavours, we found some lobster oil and meaty bacon (from Crack-On).  Gotta say this chowder was thicc!  Lots of tender potatoes and carrots along with buttery clams.  The broth was creamy and rich with the smoky saltiness of the bacon coming through.  Of course the lobster oil added even more aroma.  Ah yes, we must not forget about the oyster crackers on the side too!  One observation is that there is more chowder in the regular bowl, so if you didn't care about the sourdough, this would be the way to go.

They also have fish & chips available, but we tried it in a different form with the Fish Burger.  The large piece of fish featured a uniformly crunchy batter that encased flaky and moist fish.  Loved the tartar sauce as it was creamy, mild-flavoured and full of dill.  The addition of pickles and banana peppers provided tangy and spicy notes to really kick up the flavour quotient.  Furthermore, the bun was well-toasted so that it held everything together without being soggy.

Of course, if we were treating this as a de facto fish & chips, we need to have the Salt & Vinegar Fries right?  These may seem familiar to you and if you have had them before, you would know how great they are!  They were super crispy but not greasy while totally seasoned with the tangy saltiness we love with salt & vinegar.  In addition to the tartar sauce, I would recommend you try the Mango Tamarind Hot Sauce.  Such a fruity and spicy compliment to the fries.  Other sides that we added were the Curried Slaw and B&B Pickles.

For me, I really enjoy a good order of Popcorn Shrimp and the one we had here was really good.   The best part was the actual shrimp itself as they used the Argentinian variety.  If you are familiar, these have a strong aroma and are very shrimpy.  So each piece was flavourful even before the tartar.  Texturally, the shrimp had a meaty texture (that is common with Argentinian shrimp).  I really also enjoyed the batter as it was very crunchy while giving way to soft fluffiness.

For dessert, we had both options including their version of Coconut Cream Pie Pudding and Sticky Toffee Pudding.  Both of these were creamy and light while being purposefully sweet.  Hence, I couldn't stop eating them since I never thought it was too much or too sweet.  The toasted coconut was nutty and aromatic while the sticky toffee pudding had delicious caramel vibes (and caramel crunch too).  In the end, the food at Jack's Chowder was really good and well-portioned.  Great to see a spot offer this type of food and isn't located on a dock or some touristy spot.

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

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Good portions
- Nice people

The Bad:
- Not many seats here  

Gary's Restaurant

Gary's Restaurant has been on my radar for a little while and it was also on my "to dine at" list.  I did suggest to some friends that this was an option for our dinners, but there were no takers.  However, Jo messaged me out-of-the-blue to meet up for eats and suggested Gary's!  Well, what a nice coincidence!  I mean, it is also great to meet up with Jo as I haven't seen her in quite some time, but it was also even better that we got to hit up a place I wanted to go to!

This cozy little spot on 12th at Granville has great lighting due to the large windows in front.  We looked over the menu and decided to order a la carte rather than the tasting.  As much as the tasting seemed appealing, we wanted to choose our preferred dishes.  It all began with the Rye Rolls with an herb butter.  I found the rolls to be fairly fluffy with some chew to them.   The salt on top really added a flavourful crunch.  Loved the butter as it was whipped until airy.

Onto the actual plates, we had the Kanpachi Crudo with strawberries, sumac vinaigrette and shoyu.  As for the slices of kanpachi, they were fresh-tasting and looked the part too.  There was the usual natural sweetness and the essence of the sea.  I'm usually not keen on fruit and fish, but the strawberries were sweet and didn't clash.  I found the sumac vinaigrette a bit earthy and maybe lacking in enough acidity to really make an impact.  The restrained use of the soy ensured that the fish maintained its starring role.

Next, we had the Raw Beef with king james blue, chicory and house-made potato chips.  First and foremost, the diced beef was buttery and didn't require much chewing.  It was visually-appealing and tasted fresh.  With intermittent pops of nutty saltiness, the stilton also added body and creaminess to the tartare.  There was some crunch from the chicories but overall, the whole mixture was pretty soft.  Seasoning was mild with a good balance of salty, sweet and tang.  Loved the potato chips as they were thin and crispy.

For the larger plates, we had the Ling Cod with Argentinian prawns and cherry tomatoes in a Calabrian chili butter sauce.  As evidenced in the picture, the cod filet was beautifully seared with crispy portions.  Inside, the fish was moist and flaky with some butteriness.  It was also well-seasoned and tasted great on its own.  However, that silky sauce had a spicy nuttiness to it and was well-suited for the fish.  It was not too strong, but also had impact at the same time.  Those prawns were perfectly cooked with a delicate meatiness that was aromatic.

The most filling dish was the Pork Collar with parsley sauce, grilled onion and Swiss chard.  Fatty with its classic rebound meatiness, the pork collar was nicely brined.  It was had an inherently full-flavoured taste to it while not being salty.  The meat was tender, but maintained a bite.  I found the parsley sauce to be creamy and bright.  The veggies were cooked perfectly where they were wilted, but still had lots of texture left.

For dessert, we had the Paris-Brest with lemon verbena cream, strawberry and chantilly.  Texturally, the choux pastry was crispy on the outside and fairly light on the inside.  I found the chantilly to be a bit melty, but it was still light and creamy.  The lemon cream was mildly-flavoured while the strawberry was sweet.  Overall, it was a pleasant meal at Gary's with properly-prepared proteins and focused flavours.  I would be open to a return visit one day!

The Good:
- Properly-prepared proteins
- Nice flavours
- Great service

The Bad:
- Seating is a bit tight for tables of 2

 

Bravo

I've been meaning to visit Bravo for quite some time.  With its Vanmag win as the best new restaurant, I felt it was a place that I needed to try ASAP.  Located in the former Ubuntu Canteen, Bravo features sustainable seafood with a dry-aged fish program.  Chef Jonah Joffe is both co-owner and Executive Chef.  I was so impressed with my first visit, I came back within a month to try more dishes.  This blog post will include dishes from both meals.

The first thing on the menu is the Oysters and depending on the day, there are certain ones you can choose from.  We decided on the Shigoku and Sunseekers since they were relatively smaller, which we prefer.  The Sunseekers were much creamier and had a hint of cucumber.  With a mild brininess and balanced flavour, the Shigoku had a clean finish.  Lemon wedges, horseradish, spicy cucumber aguachile and fermented red jalapeno were served with these.  I really enjoyed both of the condiments as the cucumber was refreshing and bright while lightly spicy.  Being spicier and more bold, the fermented red jalapeno went well with the Sunseekers.

Sometimes a simple Burrata turns out to be one of the highlights of the meal.  This was such the case where the creamy burrata was complimented well with braised tomatoes, kale gremolata and pistachios.  Since burrata is such a mild-tasting cheese (albeit buttery and creamy), it needs a boost and indeed the components did that.  The fresh braised tomato added sweetness and tanginess.  Then well-seasoned gremolata brought a bright tang and aromatics.  Of course the pistachios did its salty nutty thing with some added texture to the dish.  This was served with Livia Sourdough, but on the 2nd visit, we actually added an extra dish that was served with whipped butter and maldon salt.  That bread was good to soak up everything as most dishes were served with a killer sauce.  Loved that butter as it was creamy and airy.

I always enjoy a toast with fish on it (particularly anchovies), so when I spotted the Gravlax Toast, it was a must order.  To top it off, it also included boquerones!  Yes, I got my anchovy toast in a round about way...  In addition to that, we found café de Paris butter and fresh herbs.  The combination of tangy brininess of the boquerones with the sweet butteriness of the salmon ensured that our taste buds were taken care of.  The seasoned butter provided extra seasoning and richness (reminded me somewhat of the sauce I had at Le Relais de L'Entrecôte) while the herbs (in particular the dill) afforded some bright and fresh flavours.

One of their signature dishes is the Tofino King Salmon with maple ginger dressing, cucumber and avocado. This dish was all about the main ingredient as it should be.  The slices of aged salmon were super buttery and soft.  The natural sweet fishiness (in a tasty way) was at the forefront.  I thought the dressing was super delicious and impactful without getting in the way of the salmon.  There was a certain umaminess about it where it wasn't exactly salty, but there was lots of flavour.  The sweetness of the maple probably helped curb the saltiness.

Another showstopper was the Spencer Gulf Hiramasa with passionfruit aguachile, cantaloupe and espelette.  This was so good, we ordered it both times!  The firm hiramasa was a bit buttery while naturally sweet.  That passionfruit aguachile was spicy, sweet and tangy.  Sure, this was a case of the sauce overtaking the main ingredient, but it worked.  It was so good, we wanted to coat each piece of fish with as much as we could.  This passionfruit aguachile would be a great sorbet too!

From powerful to subtle, we transitioned to the Hokkaido Scallops with coconut leche de tigre, calamansi and finger lime.  Since Hokkaido scallops are so delicate, the sauce had to be both memorable without drowning out the natural sweetness.  Call it a success as the buttery scallops were still the main focus, but the aromatics of the coconut milk were present as well as a background brininess.  Acidity was balanced with the calamansi and finger lime.

Another dish we ordered both times was the Fremantle Octopus with brava sauce, labneh and tomatillo.  The braised octopus was tender, yet still retained its signature bite.  It was torched, so that there was some caramelization and slight charring.  Normally, we find brava sauce on top of potatoes, but in this case, it provided quite the tanginess and acidity.  Possibly a bit too powerful, but it was dialed back with the creamy labneh.  Other than the contrasting colour, the tomatillo sauce added another layer of tanginess.

One of the best dishes was the Manila Clams in a shiro dashi with fried tofu and sesame.  All the clams were fully opened and cooked perfectly.  They were plump, buttery and at their briny best.  That clam nectar seeped into the dashi where it was sweet, briny, buttery and full of umaminess.  I would've preferred a less firm tofu, but at the same time, I understand that a softer one would possibly fall apart in the cooking process.  The side of sourdough was a must here as the broth couldn't be wasted.

The one dish we were indifferent about was the Kale Gnocchi.  Nothing wrong with the sauce here as the pistou was creamy, aromatic and bright.  Interestingly, they added toasted pine nuts to the dish which made this a quasi-pesto.  However, rather than blending it into the sauce, it was more impactful as whole nuts.  Loved the maitake mushrooms where they provided "meatiness" and the onions added sweetness.  We also had some parmigiano reggiano crisps for texture and saltiness.  So the main issue was the gnocchi itself.  They were pillowy soft, but in mid-chew, they were mealy.  We would've preferred a firmer gnocchi.

Another awesome dish was the Tagliolini with humboldt squid bolognese, taggiasca olives and herb ricotta.  Beyond the al dente pasta, which was neatly plated, the bolognese was beautiful.  I've never had it without some form of pork and/or beef, so the squid was definitely different.  It was tender, yet with a rebound bite.  There was some natural sweetness to compliment the tang of the tomato.  Extra punch was provided by the sweet olives and everything was balanced out by the creamy ricotta.  Excellent dish.

The Cascade Steelhead was another solid dish where the fish itself was perfectly executed.  Flaky, moist and still buttery, the steelhead had a rich flavour.  It sat atop a horseradish soubise which was creamy and rich.  The horseradish was definitely there without being a distraction.  There was natural sweetness from the onions.  Hidden underneath the broccolini and dill, we found some crispy fingerling potatoes.  About that dill, it was nice addition to the plate as it brightened things up. 

Last but not least, the Seared Scallops was higher level. Each one of the plump scallops were seared beautifully while still being a bit rare inside and supremely buttery.  They were well-seasoned but the lemongrass & coconut sauce was so aromatic and impactful, it just made the dish.  Unfortunately, both times, we were so full, we didn't get to dessert.  I guess that would be on my next visit (which is guaranteed).  For these first 2 meals, the food was fantastic and well-executed.  Loved their aged fish and frankly, all of the other seafood creations. Bravo definitely earns its title as best new restaurant. 

The Good:
- Expertly-prepared seafood
- Bold and impactful flavours
- Focused menu

The Bad:
- Gnocchi was not our favourite