The Greek on Broadway (Social Menu)

I'm sure you remember me yammering about food prices these days in several of my posts.  Sure, there have been some pretty good deals out there including some affordable AYCE options.  However, the Social Menu at The Greek on Broadway is something else.  Everything on that menu is 40% off (until October 31st) as long as you do a social media post of some sort.  These including following The Greek on IG, posting a story, reel or static post on IG and/or an online review.  I personally love the food here and for 40% off, it is a frickin' steal!

So for only $7.80, you can order the Taramosalata that comes with grilled pita.  Of all the available dips, this is my favourite with an appetizing tanginess to go with the brininess of the cured cod roe.  This is fairly thick, but still creamy in texture.  The best part of the dish is the grilled pita.  It benefits from the charring as the smokiness and nuttiness really come through.  The bread itself is crispy on the outside while still chewy on the inside.  Really nice compliment to the dip.

Another excellent small plate that is available on the menu is the Spanakopita for $11.10.  Unlike other versions that feature little triangles of phyllo pastry stuffed with spinach and feta cheese, the one here is a long whole piece.  Therefore, we find much more filling than phyllo.  It isn't as if the phyllo isn't there though.  The thin layer is nicely browned and crispy while the ample amount of spinach is tender, yet not mushy.

Also for $11.10, the Keftedes sports 4 pork and beef meatballs sitting in a homemade tomato sauce.  These meatballs are large and features lean meat.  Hence there is a real meatiness to them.  The slight heaviness of the meatballs is completely offset by the delicious tomato sauce.  There is a certain freshness about it and the tang is perfectly balanced with the sweetness and oregano.

Now the previous 3 dishes are really good, but the one that I love the most is the Grilled Humboldt Squid for $15.00.  This large piece of squid is super tender with the perfect amount of textural bite.  It is masterfully grilled with appealing sear marks.  These are not only there for form, but they also there for function.  Caramelized smokiness abound, the squid benefits also from proper seasoning and a wealth of olive oil.  Be sure to squeeze some lemon for acidity.

One of my favourite Greek dishes is Moussaka and they do it justice here.  It is only $12.60 on the Social Menu, yet they do not skimp on the meat.  There is a thick layer of tender beef and pork within the layers of eggplant, zucchini and potatoes.  Of course, on top we find the usual creamy bechamel sauce.  Love how this layer is not too thick.  Some other versions have far too much bechamel that can also be heavy.  Not this one.  It is velvety and has the unmistakable taste of nutmeg.  That combining with the cinnamon in the meat make this the perfect fall dish.

The best value on the Social Menu must be the Souvlaki Platters for a mind-boggling $17.40!  You can choose between 4 different skewers including chicken, pork, beef (+$1.00) or prawns.  It includes all the fixins' including rice, roast potatoes, tzatziki and veggies.  All of the skewers are well-charred and seasoned.  I like the chicken and pork the most as they are tender and juicy.  The beef is a bit chewier and drier.  Prawns are excellent with a meaty snap.  Overall, the food at The Greek is solid and it is now even more appealing due to the rock-bottom pricing.  I suggest you go check it out before October 31st.

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

The Good:
- Well-prepared proteins
- Fair portion sizes
- That Social Menu (only until Oct 31st)!

The Bad:
- Currently with the Skytrain construction, you must park a bit farther away

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

 

Clamato

Having already scored reservations for Septime on our last full day in Paris, we decided to check out their sister restaurant, Clamato, situated right next door on our first day in Paris.  Focused on fresh sustainable seafood, Clamato's menu reflects the daily deliveries from French fishing ports.  Unlike Septime, Clamato does not take reservations.  We arrived at around 6:45pm for their 7:00pm opening time and was easily seated (as well as most of the other people in line).  If you are any later, then you will need to leave your name on the waitlist and they will call you.

Since they feature only fresh ingredients, the menu that we were presented with was very different than the one found online.  We decided to start with the Cod Roe Tarama with EVOO.  This was deliciously smooth and creamy with the brininess of the cod roe coming through.  There was a background smokiness and the seasoning was on point with it being salty enough.  Loved the pool of EVOO in the middle as it provided aromatics and naturally the silky smoothness of olive oil.

Another seemingly simple dish was the Sardines with roasted lemon and smoked creme crue as well as a good smattering of EVOO.  Those sardines were texturally appealing with a tender meatiness.  They were tangy and briny while completely and perfectly accented by the tart lemon and the smokiness of the creamy crue.  This went especially well with the warm baguette served when we were first seated.

One of my favourite items was the Palourde Clams with green curry sauce and fig leaf oil.  Those buttery clams were delicate and so naturally sweet.  Loved the cook on them as they were perfect with a soft texture with a slight chew.  The showstopper was the sauce as it was bright and mildly rich at the same time.  It was cilantro-forward and tasted really green, but the coconut milk tempered that.  I had to soak up the sauce with the bread because it was so good.

One of the brightest dishes was the Pollock Ceviche with fermented peach and chipotle.  I literally spooned the ceviche liquid and ate it just like that.  A nice balance of acidity, sweetness and spice with the emphasis on mild tanginess.  Therefore, it wasn't strong enough to overwhelm the delicate pieces of pollack.  About that pollack, the slices were tender with a bit of firmness. 

Another favourite of mine was the Mediterranean Octopus with shaved fennel and roasted garlic sauce.  The fairly thick slices of octopus were beautifully textured with a very tender chewiness.  Loved that it was easy to eat but had a certain firmness still.  It was adequately seasoned with a balanced salty sweetness but the garlic sauce was delicious.  It was creamy and rich with all of the best things about roasted garlic.

One of the more interesting dishes was the Albacore Tuna with spruce tips and pickled blueberries.  Apart from the fact they were paring fish with blueberries, the dish worked in my opinion.  There was an earthy foresty thing going on with the spruce tips while the fish itself was already tangy from the marinade.  The blueberries were intensely sweet and acidic which made it pair much better than just plain blueberries.

Viv's favourite dish was the Heirloom Tomato Salad with trout eggs and basil oil.  Another seemingly simple offering but with superior ingredients, this was full-flavoured and super fresh tasting.  The tomatoes were bright and sweet while the tomato water only helped highlight the main ingredient even more so.  The basil oil added herbaceousness while the crunch of the croutons provided complimentary texture.  Let's not forget about the briny trout eggs too.

One dish that was only liked by me was the Bell Pepper & Smoked Haddock Carpaccio w ith langoustine-kimchi jus.  I thought this was genius as the rich cooked-down jus was aromatic and briny with a background tangy spice.  The haddock was lightly smoky and had just a bit of saltiness. Texturally, the slices of fish were a touch firm but still buttery.  Those roasted red peppers were sweet and deliciously tender.

Another dish that no one else seemed to like, but only for me, was the Fried Eggplant with kalamsio, kasuobushi and hazelnuts.  I thought the eggplant was perfectly textured with a slightly crispy and firm exterior giving way to creamy tender insides.  It was nicely flavoured with a fermented saltiness as well as some tanginess.  The crunch of the hazelnuts were definitely needed here.

Lastly, we had the Monkfish from Finistere with grilled zucchini and spiced mussel butter.  Loved the flavours here as the mussel butter was rich and briny with natural sweetness.  The intensity of the sauce was further amped by the background spiciness.  The fish was perfectly cooked being a touch rare in the middle.  The mussels were plump and buttery.  As you can see, Clamato dishes up some creative fresh, mainly raw, seafood dishes that incorporate different accompaniments and flavours.  I found them unique and most of them worked well in creating a delicious composed product.  A worthy sister restaurant to Septime.

The Good:
- Fresh seafood
- Impactful and unique flavours
- Approachable and casual

The Bad:
- Pretty popular and they do not take resos
- Menu is pretty focused and it worked for us, but it may not work for everyone's tastes

Mon Lapin

So when you are named the #1 restaurant in Canada according to Canada's 100 Best, there are some pretty high expectations.  Well, shortly after this was announced, I made sure to get a reservation as soon as I was able.  We were going to be in Montreal anyways and of course I was going to see for myself what all the fuss is about this wine bar that has transformed into something bigger, literally and figuratively (restaurant has gotten bigger and their menu has leveled-up).

Seeing how it was a nice day and not too hot, we decided to sit outside in their quaint patio.  We ordered a good selection of items including the Razor Clams with fava beans and ham.  Simple, yet elegant, this dish was all about pure flavours.  We had the sweetness of the clams nicely accented by the mild saltiness of the ham.  Beyond the colour, the fava beans provided an earthy sweetness.  We doubled-up on this dish since it would usually only come with 2 servings.

My favourite dish was the Radish Parfait with chicken liver mousse and a supplement of Fried Chicken Oysters.  Oh look at those beautiful fresh-from-the-farm radishes!  They were so crunchy, bright and earthy with a bite.  Dipped into the creamy, sweet and airy mousse, it was divine.  Let's not forget about the chicken oysters as they were crunchy on the outside while revealing the unmistakable tender juicy little nuggets.

Sure, the next item was not the sexiest thing we had, but who wouldn't want some Bâtard with "bon beurre" (good butter) and La Villana EVOO?  Well, the bread was fantastic with a crust exterior giving way to soft chewy insides.  That butter was really good being creamy and nutty with enough saltiness.  The star was the EVOO as it was super flavourful with hints of pepperiness and bitterness.

Moving on, we had the Scallop Crudo with rhubarb water, sorrel and buckwheat butter.  This was simplicity at its best since there was not much in the way of overpowering items in the dish.  This let the sweetness of the buttery scallops be the highlight.  Light acidity, sweetness and nuttiness complimented the scallops.  This was a truly a refreshing dish that was perfect for a summer day.

Now for something a bit different, we had the Le Croque Pétoncle.  This reminded me somewhat of Chinese shrimp toast, but with scallop mousse instead of shrimp mousse.  This was well-prepared with evenly toasted buttery bread with spongy sweet scallop mousse.  These ate quite well and were a textural delight.  This was served with a classic rouille in the middle that added an aromatic creaminess.  Once again, this was a double-order of this dish.

Yep, we had to double-up our order of the Gnudi di Ricotta as well since we all wanted one of everything.  So this consisted of ricotta gnudi with deceptively similar balls of white turnip and garnished with turnip leaves.  The dish was finished in a very green pesto, so combined with the leaves, this was basically monotone.  It didn't taste that way though as the creaminess of the gnudi came through and it was seasoned enough to stand on its own.  However, the pesto was cheesy, nutty and herbaceous.

Hidden underneath a slice of mortadella (I moved it so we could see underneath), the Whelks were finished with fennel and herbs.  Nothing too complex about this dish as the whelks were the star being briny and sweet.  Texturally, they were like bigger clams and had a tender chew to them.  Loved the tender fennel as it provided classic licorice notes and the mortadella added some saltiness.

One of the most unique preparations was the Sourdough-Crusted Chicken (yes with foot still attached) with potatoes, Manila clams and yellow wine.  Well that crust was amazing with a firm crunchiness that gave way to super tender and juicy meat (even the breast).  Yep, I ate the chicken foot too...  The wine sauce was slightly briny due to the clams and was savoury with some sweetness.  Those potatoes were tender and creamy in the middle.

Our final savoury dish was the Aged Pork with crispy pig ears, pork fat morels and eel sauce.  That fatty pork was cooked perfectly with just a touch of pink.  Hence it was tender and juicy with a heightened "porkiness".  Those earthy and luscious morels were complimented the pork beautifully. Can't forget about those crispy pig ears!  They were gelatinous, fatty and yes, crispy.

For dessert, we shared the Pannacotta with Quebec strawberries, elderberry gelee and elderberry flowers.  This was super refreshing, light and full of floral notes.  The pannacotta itself was perfect as it was creamy and fully set without being too stiff.  This was a light and fruity finish to a solid meal.  Mon Lapin has not only delicious share plates, their wine list is extensive.  Great place to share a bottle or 2 or 3 while dining on small plates.  The question is it #1 in Canada?  Personally I would say no because I like Published on Main in Vancouver more, but I can't deny that Mon Lapin is a pretty good too.

The Good:

- Fresh and delicious share plates

- Extensive wine list

- Knowledgeable and professional staff

The Bad:

- Main dining room can be warm

- Your bill can get up there if you are hungry and thirsty

Straight & Marrow

Originally, I was supposed to dine at Straight & Marrow back in early January.  Well, just like I mentioned in my Carlino post, Omnicron happened and we didn't end up going.  However, we didn't forget about our postponed reservations.  So when we got the chance, we made another rez and made our way to a location that used to house Bistro Wagon Rouge.  It is an intimate spot with a nice bar and a limited amount of seats.  For those who don't know, Straight & Marrow are known for their share plates featuring less popular meats and cuts (such as offal).  Hey that is right up my alley and we were excited to try as many dishes as possible.

Since I was not with Mijune and Viv isn't the biggest eater, we settled on 8 dishes, which was short about 5 of trying the entire menu.  Where is Mijune when you one needs her???  Anyways, we started with the Octopus Carpaccio which featured thinly sliced braised octopus loaf with peppercress, bone marrow confit tomatoes and smoked paprika aioli.  Loved the texture of the octopus as it was tender yet still possessing an appealing chew.  The smoky paprika in the aioli provided depth while the pops of tomato added a luxurious tang (due to the fattiness of the bone marrow).

We were presented next with the Chicken Oyster Kyiv with garlic purée, tabouleh salad, tomato shio koji aioli, watermelon radish and brown butter powder.  Crispy and light, the best part of the chicken (as mentioned in the movie Amélie) was tender and buttery.  I'm not normally into raving about a tabouleh salad but this one was so bright and well-seasoned, I wished there was more of it.  Really enjoyed the take on the dish by using a brown butter powder rather than straight up butter.  Also, that aioli was so complex with subtle notes and umaminess.

Now one of the stealthily good dishes was the Eggplant Parm "Double Down" which is a take on the KFC sandwich.  Rather than 2 fried chicken breasts, we found breaded eggplant sandwiching torched halloumi cheese, basil and marinara.  This was great texturally and tastewise.  Loved the crunch giving way to delicate eggplant and the classic squishy texture of halloumi.  A bit of smokiness from the torching and the side of marinara added moisture and more tanginess.  Yum!

There was one daily feature and I ended up ordering it because it was the Lamb Sweetbreads (due to the fact I love lamb AND sweetbreads...).  This was served with fried cauliflower, cucumber, romesco sauce, watermelon radish and cashews.  I could definitely taste the lamb in the tender sweetbreads.  They were properly prepared (as in soaked enough so they were buttery tender and no membrane still attached).  I thought the romesco complimented the sweetbreads with an aromatic nuttiness and background tang.   The fried cauliflower was nicely crunchy and a bit smoky while the crunch from the other veggies added texture.

Alright, our favourite dish of the meal was the Squidtzel where they subbed in squid and prepared it like a schnitzel.  The humboldt squid was super tender while still having a bouncy bite.  I found the nicely browned breading to be buttery and crunchy.  Underneath, there was a squid ink scallop spätzle (yes made of pureed scallop) which was soft and squishy (in a good way).  The whole thing was brought together by a sweet and savoury uni demi.  I would eat this dish all day.

Now a close second would be the Rabbit Gnocchi with lardons, brussels sprouts and brown butter butternut squash purée  Pillowy soft and almost creamy, the house-made gnocchi still had a light chew and a perfectly seared exterior.  Strewn throughout, the house-cured rabbit confit was tender with a bite.  Beyond the textures, everything was seasoned properly.  To top it off figuratively and literally, the purée was smooth and creamy with a natural sweetness complimented by the aromatic nuttiness of the brown butter.

Of course I ordered the other lamb dish in the Braised Lamb Neck with tomato potato “risotto”, anchovy breadcrumbs and castelvetrano gremolata remoulade.  Oh that braised lamb was so tender and fatty, it merely melted in my mouth.  The braising liquid was flavourful and hence the lamb as well.  I thought the whimsical take on risotto by employing little cubes of potato flavoured with tomato was genius.  Texture of the potato was still firm on the outside, but fully cooked and tender enough.  The remoulade added a salty tangy creaminess to the already rich lamb which to me, emulated a richer and more impactful tzatziki (due to the use of mayo rather than yogurt).

Onto dessert, there was only one item I would choose which was the Hoof Wing and Fin Mille Feuille sporting puff pastry topped with chicken liver mousse, fish sauce caramel and duck fat icing sugar.  Okay if you read the description carefully, you would realize that this would ultimately be a combination of savoury elements with sweetness.  I thought it worked beautifully where things were balanced.  The chicken liver mousse was there but it did not overwhelm the dessert portion of the dish.  Also, the fish sauce was restrained so that there was a little salty something something to go with the sweet caramel.  Puff pastry was light and crispy with defined layers while the richness of the icing sugar completed the creation.  I gotta say, this was one impressive meal and I really have nothing but praise for the execution of some creative dishes.  I definitely will return

The Good:
- Creative dishes
- Well-execution of these dishes
- Reasonable pricing

The Bad:
- Limited seating