Paella Guys: Live the Experience (Dine Out 2024)

With memories of their Paella cooking class still fresh in mind, I was looking forward to the Paella Guys Live the Experience as part of the Dine Out Vancouver Fest.  Rather than being in their commissary kitchen, they take over a quaint spot at Dageraad Brewing just next door.  Seated at a communal table, it is a night truly to be with friends and to make new ones.  This I did since Jackie was stuck at Metrotown due to a shutdown of Skytrain.  The people around me were fun and we had great conversation.

Onto the food, much like the Paella cooking class, we were presented with a collection of tapas to share.  This included Marcona Almonds, Tortilla de Patatas, Anchovy Marinated Olives, Spanish Iberico Meats and Jamon Iberico.  These were a nice start to the meal and as I've said before, Marcona almonds are the best!  So light and crunchy.  Meats were solid but the tortilla was my favourite as it had just enough potato to compliment the fluffy egg as well as some onion for sweetness.

Now the tortilla was delicious, but the Empanada Gallega de Atun was even better in my opinion.  These little pies featured a light and flaky crust that was a good match for the tuna filling.  With olives, tomatoes and peppers, the filling did have some antipasto sauce vibes (yes, I know that is Italian, but you get the idea).  For my beverage (extra cost from the meal) was the Japanese-style Dark Larger with wild rice.  Despite the dark hue, this was still refreshing and crisp with more depth.

Usually, I'm as excited about a salad as a root canal (I've had one, so yah, I'm serious).  However, this Ensalada Mediterranea was absolutely stunning to look at and super delicious to eat.  When they were preparing it, they tossed in a good amount of salt.  This really helped bring out the flavour of the vinaigrette as well as the natural sweetness of the beets, tomatoes and corn.  As such, I went back for seconds!  A salad!  Beneath the vibrant veggies, we found a mix of crisp greens.

Onto the main event - the Paella Mixta with bomba rice, chicken, red peppers, mushrooms, onions, shrimp, prawns, tomatoes, garlic, pimenton and house-made seafood stock.  As big as this paella was, the entire thing was perfectly cooked.  Beyond the al dente and super aromatic rice, we found pieces of socarrat that was both nutty and provided a nice mouth feel.  The chicken thighs were still tender while the shrimp and prawns were just barely cooked through.

For dessert, we had the Tarta de Santiago.  I've had this before and yah, this was just as delicious as last time.  This almond tart had aromatic and buttery crunchy edges with caramelized sweetness.  Inside, the almond was nutty, buttery and purposefully sweet.  Loved the obvious taste of lemon in these as it brightened things up.  Overall, this was a fun night that was more than just the food.  Yes, it was fantastic (and also plentiful, because you can have seconds), but the communal table, live music and vibe were the things that made this a unique experience.

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

The Good:
- This is how we should eat this food, with friends, music and drinks
- Excellently-prepared Paella
- Unique

The Bad:
- Once again, the parking situation in the industrial parking lot is challenging

Street Food City (2022 Dine Out Vancouver Festival)

It is nice to see that food truck pods are becoming a thing in the Lower Mainland.  However, this is still a temporary occurrence as there never seems to be any consistency.  Sometimes they only exist as part of a special event and sometimes, they just get their permits cancelled due to complaints from surrounding businesses. So let us celebrate when we have a good collection of diverse food trucks in one spot for us to enjoy.  This is the case for Dine Out Vancouver Fest with Street Food City at the Vancouver Art Gallery plaza from Jan 15th - 23rd.

I was invited to sample something from every food truck on sight including one of my favourites in Disco Cheetah.  We decided to get the KFC Rice Bowl with multigrain rice, greens, corn, edamame, pickled red cabbage, scallion, Oriental vinaigrette, Korean fried boneless chicken thigh, chili mayo and garlic mayo.  Beyond the punch provided from the mayo and various textures from the veggies, the KFC was the star for sure.  It was in large pieces, crispy and juicy.

I've also had Super Thai in the past and we decided on the Pad Thai Chicken in medium spice.  This came with wider rice noodles which afforded a chewier texture (also was prepared properly so it wasn't overdone).  In terms of flavour, there was plenty of tang from the tamarind and sweetness from the palm sugar.  This was balanced off by the good heat provided by the chili powder.  My only wish would be for some preserved turnip or radish.

Staying with South Asian cuisine, we got the Beef Rendang with coconut rice from Kampong - Taste of Malaysia.  This featured tender morsels of beef bathed in a rich gravy.  This was definitely cardamom-forward with obvious hints of star anise, cinnamon and lemongrass.  The rice underneath was aromatic and dry enough to compliment the rendang properly. Normally, when I eat this dish, I don't like it spicy, but you can request for it.

I must've had Reel Mac & Cheese a dozen times already because I seem to see them everywhere (including the PNE)!  No big deal because I do enjoy their mac & cheese.  I let them choose the Kevin Bacon to try this time because I've already had almost of the variations already.   This was the beneficiary of a 7 cheese blend and al dente macaroni.  The ample amount of meaty  bacon on top made this quite the meal.

One of the most surprising items we tried was at Mama's Fish & Chips.  Well, first of all, I've never had the pleasure of trying this particular food truck and second, the 2 pc Fish & Chips with 2 prawns added was fantastic!  Normally, fried prawns are pretty standard, but these were so buttery and cold-water crunchy while the batter was lightly crispy.  As for the fish, it was flaky and moist with the same light crispy batter (which wasn't greasy either).  The fries were crispy and the tartar sauce was balanced.

Probably the one picture that didn't do the food justice was the Arancini Trio from Mr. Arancino.  Inside the lightly crispy exterior, there was the usual aborio rice and 3 different fillings including the Mozza with mozzarella cheese; the Beef Ragu with mozzarella and the Pizza with pepperoni, veggies and mozzarella.  These featured al dente risotto with lots of inherent flavour and plenty of melted mozzarella.  I loved the pizza one the best!

Another food truck that I tried for the first time was Melt City Grilled Cheese.  When I asked which one I should try, they suggest the Meat City Melt featuring handmade meatballs with marinara, pineapple and jalapeño jack cheese on sourdough topped with shaved parmesan.  This was a beast with so much going on.  Loved the amount of melted cheese as it had impact in terms of flavour and texture.  The meatballs were indeed meaty, but tender.  Bread choice was perfect with a crunchy exterior and chewy interior.   Not sure about the pineapple, but overall the sandwich was on point.

Last but not least, we had the Connecticut Lobster Roll and Lobster Bisque from Salty's Lobster Shack.  For those who are unfamiliar, this version features butter poached lobster without any mayo or other ingredients (this had a bit of dill though).  This one here had a mixture of lobster and imitation lobster which I didn't mind as the texture was pleasing and there was plenty of buttery garlic goodness.  Bun was toasted well too.  As for the bisque, it was rich and a bit chunky.  That I also didn't mind as it was full of flavour and aromatics with chunks of lobster and bits of veggies.  This was a yummy end to some real gluttony.  Okay, I'm not suggesting you order from every truck, but I'm not stopping you either!  Go check it out if because there are some really good food trucks participating!  There will be a rotating lineup where hours are 11:00am - 2:00pm weekdays and 11:00am - 5:00pm on weekends.

*All food was complimentary for this post except the bisque*

The Good:
- Diverse lineup of food trucks
- Lots of space and outside for those who are not comfortable dining in at this time

The Bad:
- Limited tables and seating

Holy Smokes! The Blog is 11 Years Old!

Ah yes, the blog is not over a decade old.  Is it time to hang it up and ride off into the food retirement?  Not quite yet.  Life is busy, but manageable, so I'm going to keep it going.  Thanks again for all the support from the many loyal readers and also the foodie community.  Food truly brings people together and I've met some really awesome people along the way.  I hope to find more great eats on my adventures including wherever I travel.  As always, I'm running a draw for a $100.00 gift certificate to the restaurant of your choice.  Just leave a comment with your first name and last initial and I will pick a winner in a couple of weeks.  Good luck!

Richmond Night Market 2019

What?  A post about the Richmond Night Market in early-October???  Isn't it going to end in a week or so?  Yes, you are right, I am really late to the game this year!  Reason-being is that I was gone most of the Summer and didn't have a chance to visit in the Spring.  So better late than never right?  I only visited the market twice and didn't do my usual stuff-my-face-until-I-puked while tagging along with Mijune.  Rather, it was much less aggressive and I only tried enough items to get a taste.  I totally ignored the rainbow grilled cheese because I wanted to eat food that was interesting to me and not just for an IG shot.

So without any more delay, let's get to the eats!  No visit to the Richmond Night Market is truly complete without an order of Deep Fried Squid Tentacles (or grilled squid, if that is your preference).  The moment I got in, I made a bee-line to Squid Feast to avoid the long line-up later on.  Getting the large-sized version, this was truly enough to share.  Crunchy with an appealing chew, these tentacles were further spiced by the spicy garlic sauce on top.  Even without it, the batter was plenty seasoned already.  Another must eat at the RNM is Chef James' BBQ Skewers at Xin Jiang Man.  We got the combo that included lamb, beef, shrimp and lamb kidney.  Beautifully charred on the outside with a mixture of spices including the unmistakable taste of cumin, these were also cooked just right.  My favourite was the lamb due to the fattiness and texture (as well as the gaminess).

Fast becoming another staple of the RNM, we got a half-order of the Roasted Pork Hock (from Original Oktoberfest-Style) since we didn't want to fill up on a whole one.  However, if you are sharing with a few people, there aren't many things that are as good of a deal as the whole pork hock.  Good value is one thing, but the pork hock is also fantastic.  Just like last time, ours was tender and fatty with crunchy cracklings.  Add in the side of mustard (which is my personal favourite condiment), it was hard to stop eating it.  One of the newest items at the RNM is the Crab Roe Rice at the Crab Hut.  For essentially a scoop of rice, it set us back $15.00.  It was definitely quality over quantity here as the essence of the crab roe did come through with a briny sweetness.  Every scoop of rice was delicious but at the same time, whether it was worth it or not was purely subjective.  Bluebeard and Viv thought it was not, but I can see how some people would like it.

For the past few years, one of the more popular items has been the Stuffed Crab Claws at Mr. Crabzy.  At $17.75 for 3, it ain't cheap, but remember, we aren't eating some piece of flatbread or something.  Quality of the ingredient is one thing, but the way they do here is also very good.  Generally, the traditional way of making these is by molding processed shrimp pasted at the end of a crab claw and deep-frying it.  That they did here, but the shrimp paste was not merely a mousse.  There was the delicate rebound texture of bits of shrimp to go with the light airiness of the paste.  The natural sweetness really came through.  If you've ever visited a Brazilian Rodizio, you might recognize the Pão de Queijo (or cheese bread balls).  I can't profess to say I've eaten many of these, however, these ones were really good being light, slightly glutinous and plenty cheesy.  These can be found at the Whatafood stall.

Something a bit different are the Vietnamese-inspired Tacos from Taco Tigre featuring chicken banh mi, 5 spice pork belly and beef pho.  This was $10.00 for 3 and yes, the picture is missing one as it was eaten.  LOL...  Anyways, I got to try the Beef Pho and yes, it really did taste like the components of Pho except for the moisture of the soup.  There was a drizzle of hoisin on top which was good, but I would've preferred some sriracha.  I wasn't the one who bought this, so I ate what was presented on the table.  Another RNM favourite is the Daifuku at Asomi Mochi.  These have gone up in price, much like many of the other food items here.  They are now 2 for $9.00 or $5.00 each (up from $7.00 for 2 last year).  I find the mochi quality on these to be excellent with a pillowy-soft texture while still having a glutinous-chewiness.  The matcha is my personal-favourite.

So with 2 admissions left on our Zoompass, Viv and I returned several weeks later to get a few more items from this year's market.  We went for the $19.00 full-sized Lobster Roll from Salty's Lobster Shack.  Although this was not served in a buttered split roll, it ate well nonetheless.  It was packed with bits of lobster mixed with mayo and some celery and dill.  There was probably a bit too much dressing, yet at the same time, we were not left wanting in terms of lobster.  I wished for more larger chunks of lobster in the mix, but for the price, it was fine.  While I was getting that, Viv was across the way at Zzim getting some Korean Chicken Drumsticks.  She got the large order for $11.00 and paid an extra $1.00 to get half-and-half.  The result was 2 drumsticks in hot spicy pepper and 2 in sweet garlic soy.  In terms of filling up your tummy, this has to be one of the better deals at the RNM.  The drumsticks were juicy as promised where we found the spicy pepper to be more flavourful.  Loved the addition of chewy rice cakes.

For several years, the Mac & Cheese Roti at Mamak La has been one of the most popular items at the RNM.  I've had it once before, but haven't eaten it lately and Viv has never tried it at all.  I wouldn't classify this as amazing, although it is really something different and completely fusion.  The roti itself was flaky and fairly chewy (in a good way) with some elasticity.  Due to the preparation, it would never be "fluffy" as it is compressed and grilled.  Inside, we found nacho 3 cheese which had a resemblance to Kraft Dinner. That wasn't a bad thing since the noodles were chewy and plenty salty from the cheese as well as the extra cheese slice.  Drizzled on top was curry mayo sauce.  Another popular RNM food item is the Fish Stick from aptly named Fish Sticks.  This was actually sliced fish cake, tempura-battered and drizzled with your choice of sauce.  Small was $8.00 and a large was $12.00.  This was actually really good where the batter was light and crispy.  I got a mix of garlic lemon pepper and spicy mayo.  Both were good and this was surprisingly delicious.

Our favourite item of the night was dessert in the Dok Jok with Coconut Panna Cotta at Tuk Tuk.  Essentially a creamier and richer version of the popular Chinese coconut pudding, the panna cotta was super flavourful with the aromatics of coconut milk and with just enough sweetness.  On top, the 2 Dok Jok cookies were lightly crispy and delicate.  They were drizzled with just enough sweetness.  Loved these!  This is a must try in my opinion.  This was a respectable $8.00.  We ended the night with the usual (like for the past 3 years for us in the Summer Special at Icy Bar.  This was $7.50 and still worth it despite the increases in price over the years.  It sported coconut milk, chia seeds, strawberry, mango and jelly with condensed milk.  Sure, it was sweet, but just enough IMO.  Plenty refreshing and a great way to end a visit to the Richmond Night Market.

The Good:
- Dok Jok with Panna Cotta
- Fried Squid Tentacles
- Roasted Pork Hock
- Fish Stick
- Chef James' BBQ Skewers
- Crab Claws

The Bad:
- Prices are creeping up to the point where you can get a tasting menu somewhere
- Really busy at peak times, go early at opening
- Without a Zoom Pass, you will not get in quickly

Food @ The Fair at PNE 2019

Every year, there are certain things to look forward to.  Things you mark down on the calendar with anticipation.  These may include birthdays (maybe for some people...), vacations, start of the hockey season and the PNE.  Yah, not everyone needs another Sham Wow or cares about the prize home (I do!), but many keep an eye out for the most unique fair food offerings.  So on a very rainy (like downpour) Wednesday, I set out on the annual media tour to seek out the different as well as the classics.  On a side note, if you want to visit the PNE without crowds and you don't mind rain...  I suggest you go when others stay away.

So what is the best thing to start with at 9:00am in the morning?  How about Butter Beer Soft Serve Ice Cream?  To give it more of a "magical" appearance, throw in some dry ice!  Beyond the visuals, the soft serve was creamy and rich (it was thick rather than icy or airy).  It was flavoured with butterscotch and as much as I was skeptical (I'm not a fan of butterscotch), it was purposefully sweet.  I ended up eating it all.  Moving onto something savoury in the Carnitas Tatchos.  I'm a big fan of tater tots, so that alone would've been tasty.  However, add in tender pulled pork and fresh salsa with the creamy kick of chipotle cream, you have the best of nachos with crunchy tots instead.

This was only 9:30am and we had already sampled ice cream and a dish that would be more suited for the inebriated.  So why not go down that road with the Tipsy Unicorn?  Served in a plastic glass that featured a separated section with dry ice, the very berry lemonade was combined with or without vodka (during Playland Nights only for the alcoholic version).  Yep, the presentation was gimmicky, but it was rather refreshing as it wasn't crazy sweet.  Add in the vodka and it would be just right.  We didn't end there as we also sampled the collaboration between the PNE and Parallel 49.  Aptly named Nefairious, this beer features only 4.5% alcohol.  The result was a lighter, more refreshing beverage.  I guess one would just drink more as a result... 

Something that sounded totally out-of-left field and honestly not-that-tasty, was the Ramen Corn Dog.  Well, I had to literally eat my words, I mean the corn dog because it was really good!  I've always enjoyed the corn dogs from Corn Dog King, so that should've been an indication (I shouldn't have judged so quickly!).  The fried ramen bits on the outside offered up a firm crunch that complimented the existing crispiness from the batter.  Once past the fluffiness underneath, we found melted cheese and the wiener.  Now the next food item, Pickle Pizza, did sound good.  I love pickles and this was tangy, sweet and cheesy.  Due to the tang, it was appetizing and really helped cut the fattiness of the cheese.  I found the crust to be crispy on the bottom while soft and chewy the rest of the way.

For the longest time, pork cracklings were "the" crunchy skin that was eaten on its own.  Now we see bags of crispy fish skin with salted egg yolk and also Fried Chicken Skin on more and more menus.  Now you can get yourself an order at the PNE as well.  The best part of fried chicken is even more so when it is deep fried individually.  It was uniformly crunchy with evenly rendered fat.  Add in some seasoning and you have the "it" chip.  The next place we visited was Freakk Fries with their Foot Long Fries in a variety of flavours.  Not only did these look impressively-sized...  They were also very good.  Crunchy from end-to-end, the inside of the fries were still plenty potatoey and not fried to a crisp.  The trick is to pick them up in the middle and break them into 2 or you will end up dropping them.  My favourite flavour was the butter chicken followed by the garlic parmesan.

With all these new food items, we also have to remember the classics including Jimmy's Lunch, that have been operating at the PNE for 90 years.  Still family-run, their claim to fame is their caramelized onions that goes into both their Burger and hot dog.  Simple with lettuce, tomato, American cheese and the aforementioned onions, the burger ate well.  The patty was moist and juicy while the onions added a smoky sweetness.  Solid after all these years.  Then we had a modern version at Rice Burger with chicken katsu and beef yakiniku sandwiched in between 2 seared discs of rice.  This is a good gluten-free option for those wanting a burger or sandwich of some type.  I found the spicy chicken my favourite as it was crispy where the batter stayed adhered to the tender and moist chicken.  The rice was obviously denser than a bun, but a good carb alternative.

After the tour, I decided to go for 2 of the most popular items at the fair including Gator BBQ with their Vegetarian's Nightmare.  This consisted of half-rack of pork ribs, beef brisket, pulled pork, beans and potato.  For me, this is one of the better values at the PNE for $32.00.  It easily feeds 3 people, maybe more (especially if you ate the aforementioned items already!).  Lastly and most importantly, I ended off with something sweet in the form of Mini-Donuts at Those Little Donuts.  A PNE classic (in fact, I worked there before!) with warm sugar-cinnamon donuts made before your eyes by those little machines.  So there you go, this is just a small taste of what is available at the PNE this year.  Enjoy the eats and maybe you can win a house or win a car...

*Most items were complimentary*

The Good:
- Less shock items this year
- They might look gimmicky, but they were good
- Classics are still a good bet

The Bad:
- Of course with any fairs, pricing isn't cheap
- Hunky Bill passed.  Go have some perogies in his honour...

Glowbal's Secret Chef's Table

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.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Unique experience
- On point execution
- Delicious

The Bad:
- How come these dishes can't be offered on the regular menu?  They are truly good!
- Not sure how much this will cost?