Madame Danh

You know how I feel about modern restaurants that feature what we have historically seen as "cheap eats".  I actually like them and appreciate the different perspective and elevation of the cuisine.  Sure, we have to pay more, but we are typically getting more refined food and superior ambiance and service.  For those who don't see it the same way as I do, that is fine because the less expensive spots still do exist and really, I enjoy those as well.  My belief is that you can't compare apples to oranges and all restaurants serve different purposes.  This brings me to the newest modern Vietnamese restaurant in Madame Danh out in the Fraserhood.

One look at the menu and it is clear that they are not merely going for the value conscious crowd.  They are appealing to those who seek something unique and more refine that they are willing to pay for.  That was pretty clear with the Bone Marrow.  You normally do not see this other than possibly fine dining, so it gives you a sense of what the restaurant is all about.  These were some pretty big bones with plenty of buttery and well-salted bone marrow.  Loved the smokiness and the overall richness.  This was served with crunchy crostinis with a side of pickled veg to lighten things up.

Next, we also had the Pork Liver Pâté served with the same grilled baguette slices.  This was classic French with a smooth texture, yet at the same time, had some meatiness left.  It had an initial sweetness then gave way to umami savouriness.  There was definitely the aromatics of shallots and also slight background liquor finish.  The dish would not be out of place in a French bistro or even higher end establishment.  If you look at it from this perspective, $15.00 is plenty reasonable.  On the side, it once again had the pickled veg which helped add crunch and acidity.

Staying with composed dishes, we had the Tender Charred Octopus with zesty chili sauce.  Once again, we had another dish that would look very much at home at a fancier restaurant or even Spanish tapas.  No one would blink at paying $17.00 for this plate.  It was especially true since the octopus was on point.  Each piece was tender but was still appealingly chewy.  There was a nice smokiness to it and the seasoning was on point.  However, the thing that put it over the top was the side of chili sauce.  It didn't look it, but there was considerable spice to compliment the brightness and that worked beautifully. 

Okay, moving over to some more traditional dishes, we had the Vietnamese Spring Rolls.  Honestly, I do think for this one, it could probably be priced a little less than $14.00.  Compared the previous 3 dishes, it wasn't particularly different that any other version I've had.  On the other hand, that didn't mean it wasn't good though.  In fact, it was one of the better ones I've tried lately.  The best thing about it was the thin and crispy outer wrapper.  Due to the lack of multiple layers, it lead directly to the delicious and light filling.

We also had the Caramel Garlic Wings which were fantastic.  These large flats were super crispy with fairly rendered skin.  Beyond that, the meat itself was juicy, tender and well-seasoned.  I really appreciated that the outside was firmly crispy, but wasn't hard at the same time.  This gave a real textural contrast to the tender meat.  As for the flavour, it was a good combination of sweetness, aromatics and slight brininess.  

We had one item that was not on the menu yet, but based on how much we enjoyed it, I'm confident it will be a permanent item soon enough.  This as the Beef Salad with basil and fried taro sticks.  First and foremost, the thing that made this dish was the considerable amount of tender beef.  We could really tell it was high-quality and in fact it was AAA.  It was prepared slightly rare and was buttery and soft.  The acidity of the marinade combined with the fish sauce provided a sweet tangy brininess.  The salad had it all, meatiness, herbaceousness and crunch.  Delicious.

Onto the bigger items, we had the Pho Bo with AAA rare beef, brisket and beef short plate.  Once again, they were not shy with the amount of meat they loaded into the bowl.   As with the beef salad, the rare beef was super buttery and required very little chewing.  As for the brisket, it was surprisingly soft despite being a thicker cut.  It had appealing marbling.  This made it buttery and also flavourful.  The short plate was also excellent being tender.  As for the broth, it was meaty with background aromatics.  I would say it was on the lighter side, but that also meant that it wasn't overly salty either.

I really enjoyed the Squid Ink Fried Rice as the texture was perfect.  Each grain of rice was discernible with a perfect al dente chewiness.  There was the nuttiness and caramelization from the stir-fry while being easy on the greasiness.  I found the dish to be properly seasoned with a touch of brininess from the ample amount of dried scallop as well as the dollop of tobiko on top.  Add in the usual egg and the fried rice had body and texture (other than the rice itself).  Lastly, the bits of squid were buttery with a nice bounce texture.

Our last savoury item was the Crispy Duck Noodles that featured a large duck leg confit on top.  It featured uniformly crispy skin that was fairly well-rendered.  It was nicely salted, but not to the point it was too much so.  The duck meat itself was tender and fatty while seasoned only enough that the natural meat flavour still came through.  Underneath, we found slippery rice noodles that had a slight elasticity.  We used the side of fish sauce to help seasoned the noodles.

Of course we got some drinks to go with our meal including Kumquat Red Tea, Marble Green Milk Tea and Butterfly Pea Suger Cane.  My favourite of the 3 had to be the latter as it was purposefully sweet and refreshing.  For dessert, we tried Madame's Pandan Tempration.  It consisted of fried donut sticks with a side of pandan sauce.    We found the donut sticks to be crispy on the outside and fairly fluffy on the inside.  The sweet condensed milk & pandan offered up sweetness and aromatics.   A nice way to finish off a delicious meal.  Consisting of high-quality ingredients prepared in a careful manner, the food at Madame Danh is definitely a cut above most other Vietnamese restaurants.  Sure, the menu pricing is on the higher side, but you are paying for quality and execution.  I found the dishes to be unique as well, so you are getting a different experience.

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

The Good:

- Refined dishes

- Well-prepared and delicious

- Nice dining space

The Bad:

- Although I think it the pricing is fair, there needs to be a few more inexpensive items to round out the menu

Drip Drip Coffeehouse

If you haven't noticed by now, I do not usually blog about coffee shops.  I'm not much of a coffee drinker and hence, I have never really focused on the never-ending coffee craze.  However, there are more and more places now that serve specialty coffees which are totally up my alley.  I tend to like fruitier cocktails and spirits, so it only makes sense that I'm more drawn to coffees that have unique flavors.  That brings me to Drip Drip Coffeehouse in Seattle.  They are a Vietnamese coffee spot that not only offers unique specialty coffees (and also the regular stuff too), but also Vietnamese treats to go with it.

Let's get right to the most visually stunning thing they have at Drip Drip - the Coffee Flight!  On the bottom, this was the Holiday Flight (which isn't available anymore) that consisted of Toffee, Cozy S'mores, Peppermint and Salted Caramel.  I hope they put some of these on the permanent menu as I enjoyed all of them!  The toffee was purposefully sweet with some smoky notes.  The s'mores had some nuttiness from the graham crackers and of course the sweetness of chocolate and marshmallow.  Peppermint was bright with the burst of cool mintiness.  Rich and salty sweet, the salted caramel went down smooth.  As for the regular Coffee Flight, it consisted of Coconut Ube, Matcha Pandan, Salted Egg Yolk and Roasted Sesame.  Loved the sweet aroma of the coconut and ube while the Matcha Pandan was aromatic and sweet with an appealing bitterness at the end.  Predictably, the Salted Egg Yolk was nutty and sweet.  Unmistakable essence there.  Lastly, the Roasted Sesame was nutty and classic sesame aroma.

We did go for the full versions as well with the Egg Coffee, Roasted Sesame and Coconut Avocado.  With a larger version, you have multiple sips or gulps which, if you can imagine, is a totally different experience.  So we were able to compare that with the duplicate in the Roasted Sesame.  With a larger amount of both the coffee and foam, we had more aroma and more nuttiness.  This in turn was plenty more impactful.  Get the flight, but be sure to get a full version of your favorite!  As for the Egg Coffee, it was subtle and creamy.  I found it lightly sweet too.  As for the Coconut Avocado, it was extra creamy due to the addition of buttery avocado and definitely aromatic.  The coconut milk helped in that respect.  Therefore, the coffee was less prominent in this one.

In addition to their drinks, there are some bites as well.  They have some fresh Steamed Bao sitting in a warming box ready to go.  We tried all three of them including The Combo, Char Siu and Vegetarian.  For me, it was all about The Combo (or called "Dai Bao" in some places).  It consisted of pork, woodear, cabbage and salted egg yolk.  The meat was super juicy and moist while being sweet and savory.  Nice crunch from the woodear while the egg yolk provided umaminess.  As for the bao, it was slightly on the denser side, but still plenty fluffy.  I also enjoyed the mushroom vegetarian bao with its immense umami flavor and butteriness of the mushrooms.  The Char Siu was decent, albeit a bit sweet.  The meat was not too fatty.

Also sitting in the display case at the counter, they had a selection of Pâté Chaud.  These flaky puff pastries were so buttery and texturally on point.  Even though they aren't diet food, the lightness of the pastry made them airy.  Inside, they were filled with tender ground pork.  I thought the filling was seasoned enough without being salty, so I could taste the natural meat flavor.  Highly recommend this to go with your drink!

If you wanted something a bit more like a lunch item, they have Banh Mi as well.  The 2 choices are the Vietnamese Ham and the Grilled Chicken.  Featuring airy and crunchy bread, these sandwiches were good!  They combined the pâté and mayo together which was pretty tasty!  Lots of umaminess and creaminess that added flavor and texture. There was the usual pickled veggies, peppers, cucumber and cilantro.  Unlike other versions, they added fried shallots which added both crunch and aroma.  All-in-all, this visit to Drip Drip afforded us delicious drinks and tasty bites.  No wonder they are so busy!  Best to come earlier or after the peak hours as space is limited.

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

The Good:
- Lots of different flavors of coffee
- They have coffee flights!
- Food is on point too

The Bad:
- Gets crowded during peak times

Chopsticks on Pho

*Restaurant is permanently closed, but still sells sauces and broths*

Oh wow, it has been a long 12 years since I last set foot into Chopsticks on Pho out in Surrey.  Now don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the food there and at the time, they were doing something that wasn't quite trending yet.  You see, they were one of the few Vietnamese restaurants operating in a modern dining space as well as doing fusion cuisine.  I had my doubts about it since it really wasn't a thing yet.  They are still around today, so they must've been doing something right!  Well, the owners remembered me and decided to invite me back.

In addition to the food from the kitchen, they now produce their own artisan sauces that are all hand-made and jarred.  Some of these were used in the Tasting Platter consisting of one skewer each BBQ Nem Pork and the Satay Chicken, Grilled Garlic Prawns, Salad Roll and Crispy Pork Spring Roll.  Now if you look at the picture, you'll notice that the spring roll is missing.  Not sure what happened there, but it will make an appearance later on in another dish.  I really enjoyed the skewers as the meat was tender and full-flavoured due to the marinade and sauce.  The pork was tender with a nice rebound while exhibiting its usual smoky and sweet notes as well as some fish sauce.  The satay sauce for the chicken was sweet and nicely spiced.

Here is one dish where the spring roll makes an appearance...  in the Chef's Special Rolls.  As you can clearly see, the spring roll was encased within a salad roll.  Now the picture doesn't do this roll justice in representing its size.  I ate half of one and that was a lot.  First things first, the spring roll itself was large and stuffed with moist and seasoned pork filling with veggies and noodles.  The roll remained crispy despite being surrounded by a salad roll.  What really elevated these rolls was the dips on the side.  In particular, the satay sauce was out-of-this-world.

After this, we moved onto the BBQ Pork Banh Mi with all pickled veggies, jalapeno, cilantro and house aioli on a French baguette.  This featured an airy and light baguette that still had some bread texture left.  The outside was a bit crusty but didn't shatter completely upon the first bite.  Inside, the pork was moist and tender while having a pleasant natural flavour.  Good crunch from the ample pickled daikon and carrots as well as some acidity.  Peppers provided heat while the cilantro did its usual herbaceous thing.  This came with a bowl of broth that could be eaten as soup or used as a dip for the sandwich.  I personally wouldn't dip it because I love the crunch of the bread, but hey, you do you!

If you have followed me for awhile, you will know that if something is going to be vegetarian, it'd better be delicious for me to like it.  Well, their Pho Xao Tofu or veggie Pad Thai was something that I really enjoyed.  The ample amount of noodles were chewy with lots of elasticity.  They were bathed in a sweet and tangy sauce that was also briny and a touch spicy.  The addition of pickled veggies and the sprouts added crunch while the peanuts provided the aromatics.

A similar-looking dish was the Curry Basil Fried Rice with chicken.  Being a fried rice, this ate remarkably different though.  The chewy rice was fairly sauced, hence it was a touch moist instead of being dry.  The initial spoonful was definitely sweet and full of caramelized flavours.  The basil did come through while the curry was more in the background with an earthy spice.  I felt that with the squeeze of the lime wedges it really helped balance out the sweetness with acidity.

Moving back to the vegetarian side of the ledger, we had the Buddha Bowl which was presented much more like a platter.  It consisted of rice noodles topped with pressed tofu in a satay curry peanut sauce.  This was like liquid crack as it had elements of sweetness, spice, pepperiness and nuttiness.  The texture of the pressed tofu added body to the dish and I kept eating it.  We also found some crispy veggie spring rolls and a wealth of veggies with a vegan vinaigrette dressing.

So here we have the Crispy Pork Spring Roll make another appearance.  Since it was cut diagonally lengthwise, you can see how there was so much filling.   This came with the Chicken Satay (which was also in the Tasting Platter).  Really love that satay sauce with the coconut rice as the aromatics were off the hook.  Normally, this comes with vermicelli noodles, but since we've had that in other dishes, the rice was definitely a great canvas for the impactful sauce.

In addition to the Curry Basil Fried Rice, the other new dish on the menu is the Curry Beef Pho (this can be had with other proteins as well).  Piled up high, the rare beef was sliced thin and as it cooked in the hot broth, it turned out to be buttery tender.  About that broth, it started off sweet and clean but had a considerable kick at the end.  There was nuttiness and briny spice from the red curry.  Really delicious and a good alternative to the regular Pho.

But we couldn't pay them a visit and not have a bowl of "The Works" Pho right???  With the same rare beef majestically on top of the other meats (brisket and beef meatballs), this was a hearty bowl of soup noodles.  The broth was very clean and did not have any muddled flavours.  In fact, it was sweet and meaty despite not looking as such.  There was some background daikon and star anise vibes.  Hidden underneath, there was a considerable amount of al dente rice noodles.

To compliment our savoury and spicy food, we got a couple of smoothies including the Aloe Avocado and Mango Tango.  Both were creamy and smooth while not too thick, so they were very drinkable.  Since I love mango, that was my favourite of the two.  They were on the sweeter side, but paired well with our food as it was almost like a palate-cleanser.  Onto dessert, we were served some Vietnamese Coffees that were so rich and flavourful.  The condensed milk really balanced it off with creamy sweetness.  The dessert was Deep Fried Dough Sticks with a sweet peanut dip.  These "yau tiao" were super light and airy with a crispy crunch.  Loved the dip as it was purposefully sweet with lots of peanut flavour.  In the end, it was so nice to be back at Chopsticks on Pho.  Glad to see that the owners are still doing well while continuing to innovate with their artisan sauces.  Sure, prices are a touch higher than most, but you are also getting both quality and quantity as well as a nice dining space.  I really should bring the fam out, even though it is a bit of a drive for me!

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

The Good:
- Great-tasting food
- Well-portioned
- Super nice people (I can say that because my first visit was on my own coin!)

The Bad:
- It does cost a bit more than most

The Good Thief

Oh, the Good Thief again???  Hasn't it only been a little over a month?  Well, Mijune was invited to try the place out and seeing that she was wanting me to join her, I just couldn't say no.  Besides, my first visit was pretty good, so I was looking forward in trying the rest of the menu (despite me already ordering a lot of dishes already the first time!).  If I have to remind everyone, the Good Thief is the 2nd restaurant from the owners of Anh & Chi, which is next door.

One of the most impressive things about my initial visit was their vast and unique cocktail menu.  Therefore, we got a few including the Six Inch Yellow, Pom Pom Punch and Phở Dặc Biệt.  I've had the Pom Pom before (so read it in the previous post) while the Six Inch Yellow was something completely different.  Although it was fruity and refreshing like the Pom Pom, it was also more bold due to the Chartreuse and Rye.  To top it off, the spicy foam really provided a kick.  As for the Phở Dặc Biệt, it really did taste like the broth and the usual flavourings, including a star anise finish.  Strangely, they were able to emulate the subtle flavour of rice noodles.  This was a rather savoury and heavy cocktail, where the pickled bean sprouts was definitely needed to provide balance.

Onto the food, we had the Oysters first and despite not looking like much, they were fantastic!  These sunseekers were topped with a coconut chili foam which was super impactful, light and aromatic.  Of course there was a bite to them too, but just enough, so that the sweet brininess of the liquor came through.  We also had the Whelk atop crispy forbidden rice.  This was a study of textures with the tender, yet chewy whelk contrasting with the crunch of the rice.  Even though the rice looked heavy, it was actually soft and airy on the inside.  The combination of sauces as well as the Vietnamese coriander allowed for tangy, sweet and herbaceousness.

Believe it or not, I've not actually had Balut before.  Well, given that they have the quail's egg version on the menu, it was as good as any other time to take the dive.  Besides being firmer, these resembled boiled eggs but just with a bit more egginess and/or gaminess.  Sitting in a spicy tamarind sauce, it did add plenty of impact and lessened the egginess.  To top it all, literally and figuratively, we found rau răm that provided an unmistakable coriander essence as well as a level of mustiness.  Some peanuts added crunch and of course nuttiness. 

To lighten things up a bit, we got the Pomelo & Lotus Root.  It was truly refreshing with the pops of sweetness and bitterness from the pomelo and also the saltines from the crunchy cured lotus root.  With mint and coriander, there was no shortage of herbal notes either.  What brought it all together was the calamansi vinaigrette as it offered up the usual tart citrus flavours.  Perfect to go with our drinks, the Charcoal Skewers featuring lamb and pork were smoky and perfectly grilled.  Due to the char, there was some nuttiness and caramelization.  Some flakes of salt helped bring out the natural meat flavours.  Inside, the meat was tender and juicy.

I think my favourite small plate had to be the Frog Legs in Mẹ’s fish sauce glaze.  Everyone seems to want to do chicken wings in some form of fish sauce caramel these days, but by virtue of using frog legs, this became a very different, yet familiar dish.  Sure, frog legs do resemble chicken but they do taste different.  There is a certain fishiness to them without actually being fishy.  The ones here were mild-tasting while super tender.  Outside, they were crispy and complete glazed.  The intense sweet brininess was addictive and we really couldn't stop eating these!

One featured item that we tried was the Charcoal-Grilled Octopus with kaffir lime and paprika atop jicama, Asian pear and radicchio salad.  Since the octopus was sous-vide first, its texture was tender while still retaining a bit of chew.  The caramelized fish sauce glaze was sweet and briny while completely charred by the grilling.  Hence there was intense smokiness and caramel notes.  The salad underneath was the perfect accompaniment since it added freshness and crunch.

So far, the meal was going swimmingly and those cocktails, so good!  However, the Escargots was the most ordinary of the dishes we had.  It wasn't bad, but just didn't compare well with the rest.  It was prepared like a vol-au-vent with a puff pastry shell.  Well, the menu description was "Bánh Patê Sô" which is a pasty pie, but really, it was a vol-au-vent.  The escargots were prepared with brandy, garlic, chili oil and butter.  This was plenty aromatic, yet somehow, it was a bit underseasoned.  Again, nothing wrong with the dish, just the least impactful.

One dish I was eyeing the last time, but didn't end up ordering, was the Winter Squash.  Fortunately, we got to try it this time and man, it was delicious!  The delicata squash was perfectly roasted where it was sweet and caramelized while not being mushy.  It had the essence of five-spice and completely complimented by the Thai red curry.  The combination of aromatics, spice and creaminess really elevated the dish.  Add in the firm radicchio and we had some textural contrast.

One dish I absolutely loved and wanted to have again was the Oxtail.  They took all the trouble out of eating oxtail by shredding the meat and reforming it with caul fat.  The result was a tender fall apart meat with its usual gelatinous and fatty texture.  The pho demi-glace was so rich and silky with star anise notes.  This time around, the carrots were roasted, which made them more flavourful and texturally-appealing.  The confit daikon was tender while the carrot puree provided creamy earthy sweetness to go with the demi-glace.

Last time, I had ordered the steak, but was indifferent about it.  Well, they have changed it to a AAA Striploin (instead of sliced ribeye) with bone marrow butter, Sauce a la Royale and pho chimichurri.  Prepared perfectly medium-rare, the meat was juicy and well-rested.  The meat was tender with appealing meatiness.  It was well-seasoned while paired well with the chimichurri.  It had the pho herbs going on there with brightness and pungency.  The sauce a la royale was rich and possibly a little over-reduced being a bit salty.

As a treat of sorts, we were served another off-menu item in the Smoked Beef Rib with sweet & sour glaze and palm sugar.  The meat on the bone was like candy being sweet and sticky.  It was super tender while still maintaining a gelatinous meat quality.  Nice smokiness in smell and taste.  On the side, we had the Pomme Frites with Thai green chili aioli.  Unlike the last time, the large frites were uniformly crispy with soft potato inside.  Nice aroma from the fried curry leaves.

Our first dessert was something mysterious in the Forbidden Rice Pudding.  The rice was hidden underneath a coconut yogurt gelee disc.  About that disc, it was a bit too firm for our liking and although aromatic, was somewhat bland.  I loved the rice underneath as it had an al dente chew and some sweetness.  The best part was the toasted rice ice cream as it certainly lived up to its billing.  Aromatic and nutty, the ice cream was also just sweet enough.

The second dessert was something I've had before in the Mung Bean.  If I needed a word to describe this dessert, it would be interesting.  It sat on a base of almondine cake which was moist and quite good.  The mung bean on top was rather heavy and with condensed milk, this ate pretty sweet.  I think this needs have something else in terms of texture to give some contrast.  Overall, this was another great meal at the Good Thief.  I got to try all of the small plates and the majority were excellent.  The cocktails were great just like the previous meal.   I believe the Good Thief should be on anyone's list who want to grab some drinks with some delicious food to go with it.

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

The Good:
- Large cocktail menu that is truly unique
- Great little bites
- Excellent service

The Bad:
- Of course the menu is a work in progress, but things that need tweaks are already changing 

The Good Thief

I'm sure you are familiar with the story of Anh & Chi located on Main near 18th.  You know, where Pho Hoang used to be located, but the kids took over and modernized the whole outfit.  They have become hugely successful and was even awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation in 2022.  Now they are launching Good Thief right next door that focuses on cocktails with a menu that is modern and of course Vietnamese-inspired.  I recently visited the place with Roanna.

We began with the Crudo featuring BC side stripe prawns, clarified tamarind, pomelo, mango, almonds and ngò ôm.  This was neatly plated with a good amount of buttery soft prawns.  We felt the temperature could've been just a tad colder, but in the end, the dish was still delicious.  Beyond the natural sweetness of the prawns, the combination of Asian ingredients offered up plenty of brightness and tanginess.  Almonds added the necessary texture to the otherwise soft dish.

For our next dish, we went for one of the features - the Oxtail & Chanterelle Dumplings served with Thai dip.  These little precious pockets featured a dumpling skin which was thin and crispy.  It was cooked all-the-way-through without losing its elasticity.  Inside, the filling was a bit lacking in texture as it was soft and runny.  It was meaty-tasting with the unmistakable mushroom taste of the chanterelles.  As for the dip, it had a noticeable kick with sweetness.

We had 2 more small dishes in the Beets and the Pomme Frites.  As for the beets, they were dressed with blood orange, rice patty herb and chili salt.  We thought this dish was quite good where the beets were tender with a sweet earthiness.  There was a good combination of sweetness, tanginess and only the slightest amount of spice.  The big and thick fries had a considerable firm potato texture with a slightly crispy exterior.  Considering they fried them multiple times, they weren't as crispy as they appeared.  However, I still enjoyed eating them since I love natural potato texture.  The side of Thai green chili aioli was creamy and aromatic with only a mild spiciness.

Onto the mains, we had the the Oxtail which featured meat removed off the bone, encased in caul fat and then braised.  The result was a kind of pulled oxtail that was tender, yet didn't give up its classic meatiness.  With the rendered fat from the oxtail, there was a natural umaminess to the dish, but the pho demi glace really brought the dish together.  So much depth, so silky and and classic warm flavours from the spices.  This came with a confit daikon which was firm but tender, yet also added to the pho demi glace experience with its sweetness.  Also on the plate was soft carrots with a sweet carrot puree.

Moving away from the richness of the oxtail, we had the Halibut hidden underneath hakurei turnip and shaved fennel.  The whole dish was finished tableside with a dill and turmeric soubise.  I found the halibut itself fresh and cooked beautifully.  It was classic halibut firm, but was still delicate in its own way and flaky.  The soubise was vibrant, earthy and herbaceous.  Loved the crunch from the turnip and fennel as well as the addition of fresh dill to further amp the flavours.

It was decided that we would order the Ribeye with charred broccolini despite the fact we had already piled on the proteins.  In actuality, we were deciding between that and pork chop feature (which we ended up getting anyways).  Sliced into 3 large pieces, the ribeye was generally medium-rare.  I thought it was pretty tender and had great natural flavour.  The jus underneath was subtle with depth-of-flavour which was meaty and complimentary.

Now for the Snake Rivers Pork Chop, it was beautifully prepared being fully cooked but still having noticeable juiciness.  Hence, the meat was tender and not dry at all, the pork hock demi glace was silky and gelatinous.  It adhered to each piece of pork lovingly and was savoury and full of umaminess.  Underneath, we found a mix of fresh corn, chanterelles and Swiss chard.  We thought this was the better than the ribeye, yet it wasn't as if the ribeye wasn't good though.

For dessert, we tried both options including the White Negroni consisting of calamansi sorbet atop spruce granita and fermented plum while finished off with green tea cherry soda.  As expected, the calamansi offered up a burst of sourness ending off with bitterness.  However, this was balanced off with  the sweetness of the soda and the granita.  Very refreshing and acted like a palate cleanser.  You could eat this between the small bites and the big bites!

Lastly, we had the Mung Bean atop almondine cake.  It was topped with condensed milk ice cream and mung bean crema.  Yes, this dessert was unmistakable mung bean with the density of the mashed beans being present.  It was lightly sweet and the soaked almondine cake underneath had a similar texture to the mung bean.  This was a rather sweet dessert due to the addition of the condensed milk ice cream.  I think you might want to have both desserts if you want some balance (or just choose the White Negroni).

Onto the cocktails, we had the Lặp đi Lặp Lại and Pom Pom Punch for our first round of drinks.  I found the Lặp đi Lặp Lại to be rather refreshing with its mix of fino sherry, Italian dry vermouth, Good Thief shiso mountain honey liqueur, mango cordial, Wasted Citrus Shrub and sparkling sake.  Definitely a dangerous drink but easy going down.  The Pom Pom Punch also had some refreshing vibes but a nice twist at the end with a definite rice finish.  It consisted of pandan & vanilla Don Julio reposado, Parnubes Oaxacan rum, spiced pomelo, fresh lime, salted roselle and rice milk.

Our second round found us going for the Good Leaf with mint-washed Bacardi Superior, lime leaf Mulita Pisco Distillate, passionfruit cordial, lime juice and Champagne.  I definitely got the fruitiness to begin and then the champagne, but as it was starting to get floral, it took a left turn when I was expecting a right turn.  It went strong herbaceous and it was probably due to the lime leaf distillate and/or the mint-washed rum.  In a beautiful hue of purple, the Han Noi Nights featured lemongrass Aviation Gin, cacao butter bitter bianco, rectified mangosteen, lychee jasmine, maldon salt, chilli and ube foam.  This was definitely tart and floral as it was described on the menu, but we really wanted to see a strong ube flavour.  Overall, our experience at Good Thief was good.  The cocktails were interesting and tasty while the food had some real highlights. 

The Good:
- Tasty cocktails
- Well-prepared proteins
- Excellent service

The Bad:
- A bit pricey
- Some further refinements with a few items