Jacqueline

I've been wanting to visit Jacqueline in Portland for quite some time.  I mean, I've been out in Portland 6 times in the last 6 years!  I've always envisioned dining their with Jacqueline (@pork_ninjas) just because they share a name (yes, I'm juvenile like that).  However, it just never worked out.  This time around, I got a reservation and boy did that come in handy.  To say the place is busy is an understatement, there was a huge line for happy hour when we arrived.   For those who are familiar, Jacqueline opened in 2016 and relocated to its current location in 2024.  The place is well known for their seasonal menu that focuses on fresh seafood.

Seeing how we arrived in time for Happy Hour, we went straight for the $1.00 oysters.  We ended up with a dozen of the Salazar Puget Sound Oysters, which were mid-sized.  Even thought they appeared to be small like Kushis, they were deeper and hence more plump.  We found them to be rather creamy and intensely briny.  We had several accompaniments including hot sauce, dill vinegar, classic mignonette, ponzu and Fresno chili vinegar.  My favorite was the hot sauce as it paired well with the salty oysters.

Even though they have a good value tasting menu at $90.00 each, we ended up doing a la carte.  The first plate to arrive was the Hamachi Crudo.  This was freakin' delicious with buttery slices of hamachi and charred & pickled pineapple.  To go with the natural sweetness of the fish and the pineapple, we found classic Thai flavors in the mam nem with lime leaf, mint and peanuts.  We had intense brininess from the fermented anchovies as well as balancing sweetness and tang.  Nice hits of herbaceousness from the lime leaves and mint.

Something as simple as bread can often be overlooked on a menu.  Luckily I asked about Emerson's Focaccia and ordered it.  Turns out it was an excellent choice as the fluffy bread was great on its own.  It had a crispy top that also was nicely salted.  However, what really made this dish was the side of toasted kombu oil with aged balsamic.  It was so punchy with umami and tangy sweetness.  Although we had a lot of dishes coming, we couldn't stop eating the bread!

This was followed up by a few smaller dishes including the Grilled Asparagus with marinated Ota tofu.  Normally, we would find some firm tofu in these types of dishes, but the Ota tofu was so delicate and soft.  Each cube almost broke upon contact, which made it so buttery in texture.  The toss in XO sauce ensured that the tofu was fully-seasoned with spice and brininess.  Asparagus was still had a bite despite being cooked through.  Some preserved meyer lemon added some salty brightness.

Another full-flavored dish was the Snap Peas with fish sauce lemongrass vin.  Beyond the crunchy sweet peas (that were split lengthwise), we found toasted rice powder, fava leaf, lime leaves and crispy tiny shrimp.  The mix of all these components ensured we got a bit of everything.  The fish sauce with lemongrass provided salty umaminess and bright hits.  Toasted rice powder not only add a bit of dry texture, we also had some aromatic nuttiness.  Fava leaves and lime leaves gave that background herbaceousness while the shrimp were a bit crunchy and totally briny.

Presented in 4 huge balls, the Smoked Black Cod & Potato Fritters were more like croquettes to me.  Once we got past the firmly crispy exterior, the soft and creamy potato filling was airy and light.  It was totally seasoned by the salty and smoky black cod where it was impactful from the first bite.  In the bowl, we found a green peanut sauce which was "green" tasting with some nuttiness.

We also tried both the Grilled Honey & Turmeric Chicken Skewer and the Grilled Lamb Merquez Sausage Skewer.  Nicely charred and juicy, the chicken skewer was smoky and earthy.  That sauce underneath was creamy and cooled things down.  As for the lamb sausage, it was also tender and moist with a decent amount of charring.  The addition of an anchovy provided another layer of brininess to go with the rich lamb meat.

Served on a house made bao that had been deep-fried, the Lobster Bun was packed full of tender shredded lobster.  There was enough mayo to keep things together and also acidity (from the zucchini pickles) to keep things from being too heavy.  The whole thing exhibited good textural contrast with the crispy bun and the fluffy lobster salad.  This wasn't very big, but super tasty.

The Seared Scallops were hard-seared on one side which created a crust.  They were aggressively seasoned and hence, were salty.  I could still taste the sweetness of the scallop and in fact, the salt only heightened the flavors.  Texturally, they were buttery and soft while cooked all-the-way through.  Underneath, the sauce was earthy and rich.

I thought the Halibut was just a bit over, yet at the same time, most of it was still flaky and moist.  Once again, things were salty for this dish including the hard sear.  The miso maitake mushrooms were far too salty, but the texture was great.  We also found some new potatoes that were robust, yet still tender.  The nettle sauce vert was green-tasting, peppery and bright.

Loved the Fig Leaf Pannacotta as it was creamy and light while topped with sweet strawberries, Marcona almonds and white chocolate.  This was quite refreshing and light with an on point texture.  It was properly set, yet not too firm.  By using fig leaf, the flavor of the pannacotta tasted like aromatic coconut and vanilla.  It would've fooled me if it wasn't in the description.  Strawberries naturally added tangy sweetness and texture while the almost added butteriness and crunch.

We had one scoop each of the Blood Orange Sorbet, Strawberry Rhubarb Gelato and Hochija Gelato.  Things were rather sweet, but naturally refreshing at the same time.  Blood orange was tangy, so it offset the sweetness.  Strawberry rhubarb had enough tang to balance the sugar as well.  For the hochija, that was the sweetest of the bunch, but I enjoyed the toasted and nutty flavor.  Overall, the meal at Jacqueline was mostly great with a few things that were a bit too salty.  Portions were generous and pricing was reasonable.  Service was genuine and friendly, if not a bit inattentive.

The Good:

- Generally tasty

- Generous portions and reasonable prices

- Nice people

The Bad:

- Some things were pretty salty

- Service was nice, but not particularly attentive (water not refilled and plates not changed)

Le Bernardin

When making reservations for restaurants I was planning to visit in NYC, I debated over whether to do lunch or dinner at Le Bernardin.   We ultimately decided on lunch as our schedule was rather packed.   For $137.00, it includes 3 courses plus amuse bouche, bread and mignardise.  If you don't already know, Le Bernardin is one of the best restaurants in NYC with a 3-Michelin Star designation.  Headed by Executive Chef Eric Ripert, it is well-known for it's seafood-focused menu.

We began with an Amuse Bouche consisting of 3 bits including Raw Fluke with cucumber and green apple, Hamachi Tart with watermelon radish and Lobster Capuccino. The green apple and diced cucumber "sauce" was almost like a gazpacho.  The raw fluke was delicate and sweet with the crunch of the cucumber being a nice contrast. The hamachi was buttery soft and had the sweetness of the sea.  My favorite of the trio was the lobster cappuccino.  The combination of lobster essence and truffle exuded luxury.  Some texture was provided by bits of lobster.

Moving onto some Bread, we had a choice of 4 different ones including brioche, mini-baguette, raisin walnut and focaccia.  We were able to try all of them, and the best of the bunch was definitely the focaccia.  With a prominent rosemary essence, the focaccia was flavorful and aromatic.  Texturally, it was fluffy with a chew.  We found the brioche to be pretty solid as well with layered butteriness to go with the crispy exterior.  The mini-baguette was a bit too hard for our liking despite the interior being soft and chewy.

For Viv's first course, she had the Black Cod Nobu San, which was an ode to Nobu.  Prepared in a similar fashion, the buttery black cod was full-flavored due to the miso marinade.  On the outside, there was caramelization to heighten the sweet saltiness.  In addition to this, we found baby turnip with yuzu kosho which added crunch and acidity.  That was further enhanced by the citrus olive oil dressing.

For myself, I went for the Scallops with Sea Urchin.  If there was anything to truly represent the seafood being served at Le Bernardin, this was it.  The precision and clarity within this dish was obvious with each component.  The sliced scallops were buttery and soft while just slightly touched by heat.  They were sweet and had the brightness of the sea.  Natural flavors and textures were highlighted, but then accented by the buttery sauce.  It provided the fattiness and silkiness that helped the creamy and sweet uni meld with the rest of the dish.

For her main, Viv selected the Pan-Roasted Merluza with stuffed baby sweet peppers and a lobster gumbo sauce.  Gently-prepared, the fish was so buttery and delicate.  This exemplified the high level of cookery we were enjoying.  That lobster gumbo sauce was so rich and concentrated.  Briny, sweet, aromatic and just a touch of spice.  Super delicious.

Seeing how the whole menu was seafood except for 2 dishes, I went for the Filet Mignon.  It was prepared medium-rare as requested and properly-rested.  Despite being properly-seasoned, the steak was also blessed with a red wine shallot sauce.  It added some tangy brightness.  On the side, we had celeriac "bone marrow" which featured it as a pavé.  Adding the silky richness of bone marrow, this was actually not as heavy as I thought.  Rather, by using celeriac, it was lighter and softer than using potato.  Loved the crispy top and edges.

Onto dessert, Viv ordered the Spiced Coffee which was a spiced date-coffee cake.  It was slightly dense due to the date, which also made it sweet.  However, the coffee and spice helped balance things out with slight bitterness and earthiness.  The crunch from the tuile helped add texture while the cold coffee ice cream provided creaminess and temperature contrast.

I went for the iconic warm Peruvian Chocolate Tart beautifully-plated with 3 different chocolate tuiles with a lattice design.  Beyond the crispy chocolate treats, we found creamy Tahitian vanilla ice cream atop the aforementioned tart.  It was so chocolaty and rich with bitter dark chocolate.  Contrasting this was the firm tart shell that was only slightly sweet with another dose of chocolate.

Our final bites included Apple Butter Financier, Dark Chocolate Passionfruit and Salted Caramel Macaron.  Loved the buttery and sweet financier while the passionfruit really came through with a tangy sweetness to go with the silky and bitter dark chocolate.  Wasn't a fan of the macaron as it was a bit dense, yet it tasted good.  Overall, our visit to Le Bernardin was a bit hit and miss.  The food was generally fantastic, but the service was not representative of a Michelin 3-star establishment.  Having to ask for something twice and only getting it right on the 3rd try is unacceptable.

The Good:

- Intricate execution

- Lovely dining room

- Generally on point service

The Bad:

- For Michelin 3-star, one shouldn't need to ask 3 times for something

Penny NYC

Fresh off an overly hot visit to SoCal, we were on our way to NYC to enjoy cooler temperatures.  The main reason we were here was to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway.  Seeing how this was written as a play with a book that was just the script, it didn't seem like it would ever be made into a movie (also especially with the controversy surrounding JK Rowling).  Therefore, we made the trip out to NYC for the first time in 10 years.  We flew into Newark this time and trained it into Manhattan.  After dropping off our luggage, we made our way to Penny NYC.  This higher-end seafood spot in the East Village is run by the same team at Claud and features bar seating that also welcomes walk-ins.  We had made a reservation, so that ensured we had a seat upon arrival.

After perusing the menu, we decided to start with their Sesame Brioche with butter.  Okay, this brioche was fantastic being super fluffy and buttery with an aromatic crust.  It had milk bread vibes with its texture.  Combined with the creamy whipped butter with flaked salt, this was definitely one of the highlights.  

However, we were here for more than the bread, so we also had the Tuna Carpaccio with ciopolini onions, olives and olive oil.  Super simple, but that only helped highlight the buttery tuna that was fresh and sweet with an essence of the sea.  With a little EVOO for added silkiness and aroma as well as onions for a bit of a bright bite, these did not take away from the fresh tuna. 

Of course, no visit to Penny would be complete without one of their Ice Boxes.  We ended up with their $45.00 Ice Box consisting of Oysters, Countnecks, Shrimp, Mussels and Scallop Crudo.  Given the quality of the components, we thought the price point was reasonable.  The oysters were sweet with definite brininess.  Lots of natural flavor there.  Those countneck clams were super plump and sweet.  Loved the delicate texture as they were super easy to eat.   Mussels were equally plump and also tender.  Of course there was the usual brininess present.  Since they used Argentine shrimp, the flavor was much more pronounced.  They super sweet had aromatic lobster vibes with a softer texture.  Last item in the box was the buttery sweet scallop crudo. 

It didn't look like much, but the Seafood Broken Rice (with Maine Uni +$23.00) was super delicious.  Acting like a quasi-risotto, the rice was creamy and flavorful.  Lots of seafood notes from the fish, squid and shrimp as well as the textures.  This was also seasoned to the point where it could've been salty, but it wasn't.  The addition of Maine Uni afforded another layer of sweetness while adding a custardy texture to the rice.

Pretty unassuming and served in their shells, the Baked Razor Clams were pretty tasty.  The buttery pieces of razor clam were bathed in a béchamel, pickled piquillo peppers, and topped with a fried potato crumble.  Once again, a nice balance of textures from the clams to the creamy béchamel and crispy crumble on top.  Wedge of lemon provided the necessary acidity. 

One of the larger dishes we had was the Rainbow Trout with a beurre rouge.  The trout itself was prepared masterfully with crispy, well-seasoned skin while the fish itself was still a bit rare and buttery.  Instead of a beurre blanc, we found a beurre rouge that was silky, slightly tangy and featured dark fruit notes.  This was more robust than a white sauce and really complimented the chanterelles (and their earthiness).

For dessert, we had their Ice Cream Sandwich featuring the same sesame brioche.  Hence, the soft bread shaped itself to the malted ice cream.  Loved the crunch from the broken meringue pieces.  Although we weren't stuffed after the dishes we had, we were still quite satisfied.  The point of the place is for good drinks and some delicious bites on the side.  Would come back when in NYC.

The Good:

- Nice vibe

- Solid seafood plates

- Reasonable pricing with all things considered

The Bad:

- Only bar seating, if that is not your thing

The Victor (Mother's Day Brunch)

Normally, we don't celebrate Mother's Day on the actual day.  Being practical people that we are, we tend to avoid the crowds and the inflated prices that are generally found at restaurants.  Hence, we do it the day before or maybe even the week afterwards.  However, there are perks to do it on the actual day.  One of which is the elaborate brunches available at many of the hotel restaurants in town.  This year, we did do a proper Mother's Day at The Victor located in the Parq Hotel.  I've been to the Sunday Disco Brunch here before and it was great.  So we knew what to expect this time around.

To facilitate the Sunday brunch buffet, they have to spread out the food into different sections.  The main part of the spread is near the sushi bar, with the bar itself being the main focal point.  The "lineup" starts with some smaller items and Salads.  I didn't include the romaine and mesclun greens but they served as the base for the rest of the items and the salad dressings.  One item of note was the devilled eggs, they were really salty.

 

Once past the salads and little bites, we moved onto the Sushi Rolls as well as some Poké.  In general, the rolls were pretty typical, yet did feature some chewy sushi rice and fresh ingredients.  I thought the poke was quite good with large chunks of either salmon or ahi tuna mixed with their respective sauces.  I wished there was some rice to go with it.

 

Onto the showstopper section, we found a selection of Oysters on the half shell, Cocktail Prawns and split Snow Crab Legs.  Even though I would've preferred king crab, that would've put the cost up by a lot.  With that being said, the snow crab legs were pretty large and meaty.  Not bad.  Oysters were shucked well and they weren't too big, hence they went down easy.

 

Over at the Carvery, we found BBQ pork which was decent and BBQ Salmon, which was a bit over and dry.  The Ham was great being baked until super tender and buttery.  As much as it wasn't really a carvery item, the Shakshuka was tasty with silky eggs in a earthy, tangy and slightly spicy tomato sauce.  Right beside it, the Prime Rib Roast was tender, juicy and mostly medium-rare.

 

Adjacent to the Carvery was a selection of Breakfast Items that featured sausages, bacon, smashed potatoes and scrambled eggs.  As you can see, the eggs were completely runny and not cooked to oblivion.  Hence, they were silky and soft.  The bacon was lean and crispy while the sausages were meaty and well-seared.  Potatoes were crispy with a soft interior while tossed with peppers and onions.  Although I didn't have one, you could get a custom omelette as well.

 

Over at the bar, we found a Dessert Spread with different cakes, cupcakes and cookies.  I particularly enjoyed the carrot cake as it was moist, nutty and sweet.  Back across the sushi bar, we found a Power Bowl station with the usual ingredients as well as a bunch of fruit such as orange slices, green & red grapes, strawberries, pineapple and watermelon. 

 

Finally, one cannot leave any buffet brunch at The Victor without hitting up their famous Candy Bar.  Now the picture you see above is from their Disco Brunch because the one at the Mother's Day Brunch was super busy and some items were getting empty (although they were constantly refilling).  So this is a much better picture.  Overall, the brunch was quite good with quality items that were generally well-prepared.  Sure, it is pricey, but you must take into account the service, Downtown location, quality and selection of food as well as the beautiful dining space.

The Good:

- Generally solid eats

- Nice dining space

- Excellent service

The Bad:

- Since they have to makeshift their buffet stations, sometimes there is a bottleneck at the start of the lineup

- Dessert selection is fine, but could be more refined

Prince Seafood Restaurant (King Crab)

As much as I love King Crab, I don't really eat it that often.  It is not only the cost that is prohibitive, it is also the fact that I wouldn't order it for my family as we couldn't eat all of it.  Plus, the kids don't really prefer it either.  That only leaves one option - to eat it with a bunch of friends.  Even with that, the last time we could round up enough people, that was like 10 years ago.  However, I finally decided enough was enough as only 3 of us decided to go for the king crab dinner at Prince for $368.00.  It is only a 7lb crab, but includes a choice of 2 other dishes.

First off, we were served the Steamed King Crab Legs with loads of minced garlic and scallions.  Since these were split down the middle (as it commonly done), the meat was easy to access and completely flavoured by the garlic topping.  They really picked out a plump crab for us as each leg was full of fluffy and sweet meat.  It had a slight rebound texture and the garlickiness really came through.  Definitely had some bad breath afterwards!

So we had the legs, now the next dish was the Crab Body Meat Tou Chou stir-fried with eggplant.  This reminded me a little of a fish hot pot where the seasoning was savoury and full of umami, especially from the green onions, red onions and ginger.  Deep-fried before the wok toss, the crab body meat was still fluffy and moist.  Ironically, the best part of the dish was actually the eggplant as it was flash-fried, maintaining its integrity while taking on the multitude of flavours.

One dish that was on our hit list was the Tea Smoked Chicken.  This had many elements similar to soy sauce chicken except with more depth and of course smokiness.  We found the dark meat to be tender and juicy while the white meat to be a bit drier.  It wasn't tough to chew though as it was still tender.  It just wasn't as succulent as some other similar chickens prepared the same way.  It could've been partially due to the use of free-range chicken as the meat can be a bit more chewy.

Don't laugh, but I have this love for Sweet & Sour Pork.  Heck, I don't even mind the North Americanized version of it too.  So whenever I get the chance, I will order it.   This particular dish was presented in a half-hollowed out pineapple.  As much as I appreciated the fresh pineapple and the balanced sauce (where there was just enough of it), the pork itself was squishy.  Normally, the sauce does soften the fried exterior of each piece, but this was downright mushy.  The meat was extremely tender being the fattier portions, but the texture was off-putting.

Of course we had to get our veggies and that we did with the Minced Pork with Baby Gai Lan with belacan (shrimp paste) served in a sizzling ceramic hot pot.  This was naturally briny and a bit funky, but that added considerable depth to the dish.  The gai lan was cooked through, but still crunchy and vibrant.  The fact it was served sizzling in a hot pot, it intensified the aromas and also kept things warm.

We finished the meal with the Stir-Fried Imitation Shark's Fin with egg and dried ham.  This was all about the texture as the crunch from the bean shoots and firm vermicelli had a great mouth-feel.  Add in the dried ham and there was some rich saltiness to the dish, without be salty (if that makes sense).  Overall, this was a decent king crab meal.  Sure, the crab was a bit smaller, but it worked for the amount of people we had.  The other dishes were solid, except for the Sweet & Sour Pork.  Service was also quite good.

The Good:

- Large portions

- Generally solid eats

- Service was great

The Bad:

- Sweet & Sour Pork was below average