AnnaLena

Okay, here we are with a new post since the end of June.  I decided to take a bit of time off to relax in July.  So we haven't been back to AnnaLena for quite some time and we decided to try out their tasting menu.  In fact, this is all they serve these days and it is a good strategy to keep costs predictable and to streamline their inventory (as well as their operations).  Now this tasting menu was for the month of July (as they change every month).  Not that applicable for people reading this post in August, but you get the idea of their food.  We got to sit at their most awesome table right at the front enjoying all the fresh air and natural light.

We were started off with an Amuse Bouche that was a lamb croquette with dungeness crab on top with a hint of curry.  This was a rather large bite to eat in one go, but for me, I managed with no problem.  It was lightly crisp on the outside with a tender and delicate interior.  The hit of lamb was a the very end while the crab hit right away with its fluffy texture and hint of curry.  A great beginning to the meal!

For our first dish, we had the Summer Beet & Cherry Salad with burrata and maple hazelnut granola.  I found this refreshing and pleasant first dish of the meal.  The beets were tender while still retaining a bite.  A nice tang complimented the earthiness of the beets while the sweet cherries offered up balance.  I absolutely love burrata and the small dollop on the plate was fresh where it was creamy with some stringiness.

Next up was a variation of an AnnaLena classic - Torn Brioche with wakame mussel vin blanc, ramps and trout roe.  I said it before and I'll say it again, I absolutely love this dish, but would've preferred the mussels be left in the shell (also more of it too).  Besides that, the sauce was so aromatic and creamy where the awesome fluffy bread was the perfect vessel to soak it up.  The contrasting crispiness of the exterior was a textural delight.

On par, in terms of deliciousness with the previous dish, I loved the Potato Ricotta Cannelotti with onion jus, crème fraîche and guanciale.  The fresh hand-made pasta was beautifully al dente with a firm chew.  Inside, the tender and flavourful potato ricotta filling was accented by the fatty saltiness of the guanciale.  Silky and naturally sweet, the onion jus was able to adhere to the pasta ensuring layers of flavour.

Onto the meat of the meal, we were served the 63 Acre Beef Bavette with charred gai lan, morels, miso eggplant and madeira jus.  As pictured, the beef was perfectly medium-rare, hence it was juicy and tender.  I love morels and it was nice to see it intermingle with the flavourful jus and fermentness of the miso eggplant.  Lots of umaminess and earthy tones in this dish.

For dessert, we had the Blackberry & Yuzu Paris Brest with toasted oat ice cream.  I enjoyed how this was plated as it was pleasing to the eye.  The fresh berries and the yuzu provided both sweetness and tang.  Very refreshing and light.  Loved the crunch of the meringues with every bite.  The choux could've been a touch lighter, but it was fine.  Creamy and melting fast (which is a good thing), the ice cream was lightly sweet and aromatic.

The final item we had was a pair of cute Tonka Bean Cake with black salt.  A nice little morsel to end the meal.  The cake itself was in between light and dense, so I guess it satisfies a wide range of tastes.  I enjoyed it and the hit of black salt gave it a bit of a punch.  In general, the tasting menu at AnnaLena was pleasant and well-prepared.  Loved that they included a classic dish as well.  Service was on point too.  Price is fair at $88.00 per person. 

The Good:
- Well-executed food
- Excellent service
- Good pacing

The Bad:
- Maybe not enough for bigger appetites

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

Social YVR

Finally made it out to Social on Commercial Drive even though it has been around for a bit.  Situated in the old location of Falconetti's, the place has been completely renovated with a varied menu exhibiting Asian influences.  I had an ulterior motive to visit the place as it sported a fried chicken sandwich that I wanted to try (for my IG account: @shermaneatschickensandwiches).  But don't worry, I ate many other items too...

To start, we had the Salt & Pepper Wings with a side of ranch dip.  I thought the wings were a bit small, but that can hardly be the restaurant's fault as it depends on the supplier.  The skin was well-rendered and completely crispy.  There could've been possibly more salt and pepper as the wings ate rather plain.  I thought the meat was on the drier side, but I guess this was a by-product of rendering most of the fat.

Staying with appies, we also had the Chicken Karaage Bao with fried chicken, pickled daikon & carrot, cilantro, hoisin and gochujang mayo. These were soft and fully stuffed with crunchy chicken that was still juicy. There was good spice, tang and sweetness. One thing that they should've done was to place parchment under the baos since they stuck to the bamboo steamer and fell apart when we tried to remove them.

Trying to get a bit out of every section, we decided on the Bacon Cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, bacon, house sauce and side salad. This was really good with a moist and meaty patty.  It had a good amount of natural beef flavour due to the fat content.  Those large slices of pickle added both crunch and tang.  Also, the lean bacon and burger sauce made things messy and flavorful.  Lastly, the toasted brioche did the burger justice.

One of the under-the-radar dishes was the Rigatoni Mushroom Alfredo with garlic cream and pecorino. It sure looked appetizing with just enough sauce to coat the pasta while topped with breadcrumbs.  It ultimately deliviered with al dente pasta and an impactful creamy sauce. It was earthy and aromatic with enough seasoning.  Back to the breadcrumbs, it added the necessary crunch.

Since we didn't get fries with our burger, we decided to add the Truffle Fries for good measure.  These were quite crispy with a decent amount of potato texture left on the inside.   They well-seasoned without overdoing the truffle oil.  However, we could of done with a bit more parm.  Not sure if ketchup was the right condiment for this, maybe some truffle mayo or aioli instead?

Okay, for the best dish of the night - the Nashville Hot Chicken Sammie!  Okay, this is actually an off menu item since they only have this as sliders.  I found it to be one of the best I've had recently and should be permanently on the menu.  The chicken was moist while the batter was crunchy.  There was a balanced spice and heat while the condiments worked well.  Bun was toasted and soft too.  Excellent.  To get our complete fry fix, we got a side of fries too.  Overall, the food at Social was quite good.  I would certainly come back, especially for the chicken sammie.

The Good:
- That chicken sammie!
- Varied menu, could be scary, but it worked
- Service was on point

The Bad:
- Seating is great upstairs, but downstairs is a bit cramped
- Need to put parchment under those baos

Published on Main

I'm sure many of you have already tried Published on Main already, but for me, it wasn't that much a priority since dining out at the time was hit and miss due to the Covid-19 voluntary closures of many restaurants.  But as the weather improved and the options for outdoor dining increased, I started to venture out more.  Jacqueline and I decided to check the place out despite not having any resos.  We were able to score a table, but not one of the prized outdoor ones.  Not a huge problem as the tables inside were well-spaced out and they had their large floor-to-ceiling window doors wide open.  Since we already had a meal beforehand, we only got a small taste of the menu and couldn't do it "Mijune-style".

One of the dishes we had to try was the gorgeous Chicken Liver Toast served on house made rye toast with pickled rose, thyme and grated long pepper.  By looks alone, this dish was a winner.  Ultimately, it lived up to its appearance with sturdy rye bread that wasn't overly heavy.  The mousse was blended well being smooth and silky throughout.  It was well-seasoned bordering on salty without actually going over.  The cognac was definitely there, but wasn't overpowering.

Another fan favourite at Published is the Agnolotti stuffed with fresh cheese served with farmers sausage.  Almost as photogenic, the plump and oversized agnolotti were excellent.  Featuring thin pasta that was al dente, the creamy cheese was mild and complimented well by the salty sausage.  Although the dish didn't appear to be all that large, the components were hearty and filling.

One dish that I was looking forward to was the Duck Confit Meatballs with spicy black pepper sauce.  In terms of impact, the flavours were intense and focused.  However, the texture of the meatballs, specifically the exterior, was far too hard.  I found the duck confit in the very middle to be tender, but the dry outer layer was not appealing.

As much as the following dish looked like a whole lot of white on white with a splash of green, it was one of our favourites.  Underneath the matchstick kohlrabi and apple, we found tender slices of cured Scallop.  This was so refreshing and light where the flavours were subtle including the herb oil.  The crunch from the kohlrabi and apple provided the necessary texture to the dish.

As if the other dishes weren't pretty in their own right, the Pacific Halibut was both stunning and perfectly prepared.  Sporting a perfectly seared halibut that was flaky and moist, the collection of zaklan tomatoes, white currents and shiso provided plenty of brightness and impact to an otherwise understated dish.  In general, that was true for all of the food we tried at Published.  Seemingly simple items that were elevated by thoughtful and relevant ingredients.  A must-try in Vancouver.

The Good:

- Dishes were not overcomplicated

- Subtle flavours amped by complimentary ingredients

- Well-prepared proteins

The Bad:

- Can get pricey when you order enough dishes

Granville Island Delivery Co

Recently, I had visited Granville Island and although there were people shopping there, it was a whole lot less busy than it would've been during a normal July.  With a lack of international tourists, Granville Island and other tourist attractions are in a bit of a bind.  This is where we, the locals, can help the various businesses in and around the market.  Despite being a tourist spot, there are many gems on the island that many foodies swear by.  So when I was offered a basket of goods from the island from Granville Island Delivery Co, I was more than game.

Some of the best goodies were represented in the basket including possibly one of the most popular in Lee's Donuts.  We got a mix including sprinkles, chocolate glaze, cinnamon, jelly-finned and of course classic honey-dipped.  Yes, there are newer spots in town, but the soft yeast donuts from Lee's are excellent, especially served warm from the fryer.  Skip the lineup (which is long these days) and order some for delivery.

Another spot in the market, that I've had the pleasure of trying in the past, is Chocolatas.  Silky and smooth chocolates that are gorgeous to the eye and a multitude of tastes to the tongue.  In this box, we found flavours such as mojito mint & rum, anejo havana rum, pina colada pineapple rum and earl grey tea.  Yes, there were some more typical flavours including traditional caramel and raspberry & basil so the kiddies could enjoy too.

In a cooler bag with a gel pack at the back of the basket, two more favourites from the market were included.  We got truffle salami from Oyama Sausage Co and sorcier cheese from Benton Brothers.  I've actually had this salami before and it goes really well on a pizza.  Love their selection of pâtés!  Nearby in the market, I've also picked up cheese to go with my meats from Oyama at Benton Brothers.  The one included in the basket is raw sheep's and cow's milk cheese with a layer of ash in the middle.  Nicely earthy and rich.

The rest of the basket was a wonderful selection of goodies including Nelson Sauvin Kelly Pilsner from Granville Island Brewing, Almond Butter Crunch from Fraser Valley Gourmet, Cream Earl Grey Tea from the Granville Island Tea Company, Pear Walnut Chutney from Luv the Grub, Canadian Maple Almonds from The Nut Merchant, Wildflower Honey from Chilliwack River Valley Natural Honey, Hand Sanitizer from Healing Bees and Figs and Walnut Wine as an accompaniment with Oyama's truffle salami.  Yep, that is a whole lot of goodies from Granville Island.  So if you want to keep enjoying your favourites without needing to drive or transit down there, Granville Island Delivery Co can fill that void!

*Basket of goodies were complimentary*

Private Dinner with Chef Kristian Leidig

Awhile back, I had visited the now-closed Ham & Eggmans with a few others for a delicious brunch.  Owner operator Chef Kristian Leidig created a menu that was both familiar and unique that satisfied many different palates and dietary needs.  Unfortunately, Covid-19 came on full force and his restaurant (like many others) was forced to close.  However, he is still cooking, holding private dinners in Squamish.  We were recently invited out to try his 5-course French-inspired dinner out on a gorgeous rooftop (regularly $69.00).  Definitely a nice way to finish a day out in Squamish, where there are not many choices left for fine-dining ever since Covid-19 helped close restaurants there as well.

To kick things off, we had an Amuse Bouche consisting of a Prawn-stuffed Tomato with smoked paprika, mirepoix and garlic panko.  A little more than one-bite, the tender tomato still retained its shape.  Inside, the buttery shrimp had a light meaty snap while the veggies were well-seasoned and naturally sweet.  As much as the base of garlic panko served as a stability device, it also added aromatic crunch to the dish.

At first, I thought the Rillette de Carnard was going to be shared between Jacqueline and myself, but alas, we were served ONE EACH!  Very generous portion of tender and delicious tasting duck with rosemary potatoes, cherry gastrique as well as crostini and almonds.  There was actually more duck than crostinis on the plate.  Naturally, the tangy and sweet gastrique went well with the rillette where the crunch of the nuts and crostinis added another texture.

From this, we headed off to something much lighter in the Carrot and Fennel Salad with Summer greens, pears, walnuts, and comté dressed in orange & ginger vinaigrette.  As Maggi mentioned, this was a good transition from the heavy rillette as we progressed towards the main protein.  Really enjoyed the comté as the saltiness with a touch of sweetness complimented the veggies and crunch from the walnuts.  The salad was lightly dressed where it allowed us to taste the individual components.

Our main dish was Roasted Sablefish atop saffron hominy grits and haricot verts with a bouillabaisse sauce.  As described in the previous passage, the progression made sense from the salad to the buttery fish.  The best part was the sauce as it had a rich aroma from the shellfish and depth from the reduction.  It was more than enough to flavour the dish in terms of taste and smell.  Loved the extra hit of aroma in the saffron with the nicely textured grits.  Beans were perfect being vibrant and crunchy.

We ended off with the perfect Summer dessert in the Peach & Berry Dacqoise with hazelnut meringue and Chantilly cream.  Other than the fresh fruit, the best part of the dessert was the meringue as it was airy, crispy and light.  Not too sweet either and of course a bit nutty.  The cream wasn't too sweet as well, instead letting the fruit do the heavy-lifting.  Overall, I really enjoyed the meal as it was not fussy while well-prepared.  I went away full and satisfied.  Chef Kristian is planning to bring this back into Vancouver and of course, he can be booked for catering dinners too.

*Dinner was complimentary*

The Good:

- Well-prepared

- Well-portioned

- Lovely setting

The Bad:

- Well, it is in Squamish, but make a day of it

 

Fairmont Pacific Rim 10-Year Anniversary Tasting Menu at The Botanist

Before the Covid-19 shutdown of things, Mijune and I had the Botanist's 10-course tasting menu celebrating the Fairmont Pacific Rim's 10-year anniversary.  This featured all of the restaurant's greatest hits.  For those who aren't familiar with the Botanist, it is one of the better hotel restaurants in town.  In fact, I consider it to be one of the best restaurants within Vancouver period.  That is saying a lot when people do not normally consider hotel restaurants as destinations in themselves.

To kick things off, we were served the iconic (yes, even with the youthful age of this restaurant, the bread is iconic) Fougasse Bread.  This time around, the bread was much better than the last time I had it.  Rather than being too hard, it was firm with a pleasant chewiness and baked nuttiness.  The side of fresh whipped butter didn't hurt either. I would've asked for more, but there were many other delicious dishes to come.  For our amuse bouche, we were presented with Northern Divine Caviar with cultivated cream, potato and tapioca pearls.  To be honest, I was rather surprised that they used tapioca pearls as it wasn't something I would associate with caviar.  However, it strangely worked with the buttery soft pearls and tender potato.  Lots of cheesiness from the cream brightened up by the chives.  This was balanced dish that allowed the briny caviar to stand out.  Loved the lemon rind on top as it afforded a bright and bitter finish.

At first, I was a bit skeptical of the Beet Tataki since I really wanted a beef tataki. Well, it was very prejudice of me to think anything but tastiness for this dish.  In addition to the tender earthy and sweet slices of beet, there was crispy sunchoke bark, pickled onions and vegan XO sauce.  Yes, you read it right, vegan XO sauce.  You know what?  It was spicy and flavourful despite the absence of dried scallops, ham and dried shrimp.  This dish hit all the flavours and was one of my favourites.  Shaped into a beautiful flower, the Scallop Crudo was a delight.  The buttery petals of scallop were sweet and super delicate.  This was contrasted by the crunch from the winter radish. There was a smokiness from the torched edges while the fermented jalapeno added a spicy tanginess.

If this couldn't get any better, it was kicked up several notches with the Handmade Tarajin with Hokkaido sea urchin, cured egg and chives.  By virtue of sitting in a veal and lobster broth, the dish was the beneficiary of flavours from the sea being sweet and aromatic.  Pasta was al dente while completely coated with the silkiness of the egg.  Now let's not forget about the ample amount of creamy and bright sea notes from the uni on top too!  Such a delicious creation.  The next dish was a very familiar one as I've had it a few times being the Pan-Seared Sablefish with leek, black kale and black truffles.  It is no secret that sablefish is a very forgiving protein, but by the same token, this was perfectly executed - so buttery, yet still flaky.  To compliment the delicate fish, there was leek oil and foam which was there but not overpowering.  Earthiness was provided by the truffle while the kale was cooked just enough.

Off to another classic dish (which I've also had before), the Butter Poached Lobster was interestingly plated.  As much as this was only the tasting menu version, I found it a bit too busy (even though I understood what they were trying to do).  Beyond that, the lobster was outstandingly bouncy and sweet.  Splattered on the plate, the green mole was layered with flavour.  Providing nuttiness was the pumpkin seeds, while the radishes and celeriac offered earthy notes.  Finally, the spice component was thanks to the charred shishito pepper.  Sitting in a creamy and slightly acidic brown butter, the 20-Day Aged Duck Breast was also perfectly prepared.  Moist with rich meatiness, the duck was super tender with crispy skin.  On the side, there was a tart consisting of onions, duck confit and mushrooms.  Loved the soft crunch from the white fungus, but the tart shell was a bit too soft.

Our last meat savoury item for the tasting menu was the Snake River Wagyu Striploin with pan-roasted Walla Walla baby onion and red wine jus.  Meeting my expectations, the meat was buttery and meaty.  Lots of natural beef flavour due to the fat content.  I found the jus to be silky and full of depth.  I enjoyed the tomato fondue which provided sweet tanginess as well as the sweet caramelized onion.  Onto the sweets, we enjoyed the light and refreshing Mandarin Rice Mousse with ocoa chocolate and orange cake.  I'm generally not a sweets person, yet at the same time, really do not mind fruitier lighter desserts.  Well, this was right up my alley with mild sweetness complimented by tanginess and bitter notes.  Loved the airy orange cake and the crunch from the chocolate.

Our final course was probably the most interesting of them all.  The Black Truffle Choux pastry was appealingly black in colour and surrounded by chocolate soil.  From the outside, it wasn't apparent that it was filled with truffle ice cream.  Due to the dryness of the choux pastry, the ice cream completely made up for it being creamy and aromatic.  Maybe the choux was supposed to be this way, otherwise I can see the whole thing being too soft.  Loved the chocolate soil as it was tasty while texturally interesting compared to the soft choux.  So there you have it - all the greatest hits from the Botanist in one complete meal.  Sure it was expensive, however totally worth it if you have enjoyed the Botanist in the past.  It is one of my go-to restaurants in town and am looking forward to revisiting when it reopens.

The Good:
- All of the best dishes from the past and present
- Beautiful and lively room
- Attentive service

The Bad:
- Well, it is expensive (but worth it IMO)