The Farmhouse

Tucked away behind Kingsgate Mall on E. 10th, there is a rustic spot dishing up Italian fare with the influence of West Coast ingredients.  The Farmhouse is headed by Top Chef alum Curtis Luk, who is the Executive Chef and General Manager as well as Head Chef, Laura Messinger.  We dropped by to experience their brunch service in their secret little garden patio at the back.  Such a gorgeous space to enjoy a meal with friends, family or a date.

Now a gorgeous space is not the most important thing here.  We need to talk about the food right?  Well, we got the whole menu and I immediately went for their newest item first - Peaches & Cream Waffle.  Beyond it's enticing appearance and plating, this was actually my favourite dish.  The large waffle featured crispy and aromatic edges while being complete doused in peach compote, fresh berries and whipped cream.  The fruitiness and freshness really came through and this was especially great since it was just sweet enough.

My next favourite item was the Spaghetti alla Carbonara topped with a perfectly poached egg.  Once mixed with the firmly al dente pasta, the richness of the egg yolk, parmesan and bacon fat provided a sinfully silky saltiness that helped flavour the dish.  I liked how there was enough moisture to coat each strand of pasta without having too much of it.  This kept things from being dry.

The other pasta offering on the brunch menu was the Calamarata al Pesto di Pistacchi.  Featuring large tubes of pasta, this was also quite delicious.  The pesto had a bright herbaceousness with the unmistakable nuttiness and aromatics of pistachio.  There was the silkiness of EVOO and saltiness from the cheese which was appealing.  The only thing that would made it even better would be a bit more pesto.

Interestingly, one of the simplest dishes was also quite good.  The Burrata on toasted house sourdough was more like an appetizer for me (but I'm sure would be more than enough for someone else), yet it was truly appetizing.  It had something to do with the confit tomato as it added a fresh and bright tangy sweetness.  Naturally, this complimented the creamy burrata perfectly.  The sourdough had nice chew beyond the crispy exterior.

Onto their Benedicts, we had three of them including the Shrimp Scampi Benedict.  Not sure what kind of shrimp they were using, but look at them, they were more the size of prawns!  Garlicky and buttery, the prawns also had the desired sweet snap texture.  On top, we found perfectly runny poached eggs with fully cooked egg whites.  The silky and rich Hollandaise was buttery with spot on seasoning.  All of this was served on soft house focaccia.

We tried the other 2 bennies that featured Marsala Mushroom and Roast Porchetta.  I liked how there was a wealth of mushrooms that were beautifully sauteed and not dripping with residual moisture.  They were well-seasoned and took on the aromatic sweetness of the marsala.  As for the porchetta, it was a seared slice of fatty pork that was succulent and nicely caramelized.  Definitely a sinful piece of meat!  The side of spiced fingerling potatoes were crispy with a creamy centre.

Although it didn't look like much food, especially with it all crammed into a rectangular loaf pan, the N'duja & Fennel Sausage Hash was definitely fulfilling.  With the same hearty spiced potatoes mixed with meaty and spicy crumbled sausage, this was zesty and full of body.  There was some mild tanginess provided by the tomato base.  Of course, with the addition of runny poached eggs and silky Hollandaise, this hash was probably the most heavy item we had.

Our last dish was the Baked Polenta with glazed pork belly and poached eggs.  Again, this didn't look like a lot of food, but with the slabs of tender polenta underneath, this was filling.  Really enjoyed the buttery pork belly and of course the runny yolks for the eggs.  Interestingly, this one didn't have any Hollandaise, but really, it could've of used it.  Overall, the brunch service at The Farmhouse is really good and it is a special experience, especially when seated at the back patio.  Great vibes and good food!

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

The Good:

- Well-prepared dishes that are delicious

- Love that patio

- Low key vibes

The Bad:

- A little hidden with limited parking

June on Cambie

If you haven't already heard, we have a new "hot"
restaurant on Cambie Street, where Biercraft used to be located and just steps away from Elio Volpe.  June, named after Head Chef Connor Sperling's wife, is Brasserie-inspired with French-influenced West Coast cuisine.  If Chef Sperling sounds familiar, he had been honing his craft at Published the last 5+ years.  The restaurant itself boasts a prominent bar that helps compliment late night bites until midnight.  Moreover, you can keep the experience alive by heading downstairs to the cocktail bar.

On the topic of cocktails, we started with 2 light and fruity concoctions.  These included the Blue Fizz and the Chamberyzette.  Super light and with a noticeable banana finish, the Blue Fizz was also fruity and went down far too easy.  On that note, the Chamberyzette was even more dangerous with the sour strawberry cordial affording fruity and sweet vibes that blended well with the sweetness of the vermouth.

Onto the food, we began with the Scallops, which were beautifully seared with intense caramelization accentuating the sweet brininess of the plump mollusk.  Beyond being properly seasoned with salt, the natural taste of the scallop was complimented by the citrus butter sauce.  It had a balanced amount of acidity to brighten things up while having the luscious creamy nuttiness of the butter.

Although the Crab dip was listed in the small dish section of the main menu, it was not small at all.  Underneath the chives and aioli, there was a wealth of lump crab meat that was beautifully-prepared.  Each piece of crab was fluffy and had a strong briny essence and flavour.  Those spiced madeleines were fluffy and sweet.  Personally, I would've liked something crunchier, but then again, there was nothing wrong with the madeleines.  I could've just eaten them by themselves!

Loved the plating of the Pepper Bluefin as it was super colourful with no negative space.  The tuna itself was just lightly kissed on one side with crusted black pepper while being rare throughout.  It was buttery as expected with an unmistakable sweetness.  At first, I thought the pepper would be overwhelming, but in reality, I barely knew it was there other than a bit of a bite at the end.  It sat in a piquillo escabèche which was sweet and tangy with only the slightest hint of heat.  Really nice compliment to the bluefin without being too powerful.

One of the more surprising dishes was the Frog Legs.  Now, I've had my share of frog legs before, so it wasn't surprising because of the ingredient.  It was the level of execution that exceeded my expectations.  The legs were gigantic and plump where the texture was juicy and fork tender.  On the outside, it was perfectly-glazed with espellette and B.C. honey offering up both spice and sweetness.  On the side we found a lime mignonette that provided that acidic kick to bring the flavours alive.  Best frog legs I've ever had!

We did have one featured off-menu item in the Spot Prawns in Fresno sauce with Meyer lemon and butter.  These split head-on prawns were cooked just enough so that the meat was still tender and delicate.  The prawns were naturally sweet and despite the impactful sauce, it didn't overshadow the main ingredient.  With that being said, it was nice to have a more robust flavour with spice, sweetness and tang.  We really needed something to soak up all the goodness.

 

That we did with the June Brioche with Beurre d'Isigny from Normandy.  I really should have used the bread as a blank canvas for the various sauces from the dishes at the table.  However, it would also be a waste that we didn't use up all the creamy butter either.  So I just slathered all that I could onto each piece of the fluffy bread.  So aromatic and nutty with a strong butter essence.  I also loved the crispiness of the bread's exterior.

Normally, I'm not super excited about having a salad, but the Salade Maison featured beautiful butter lettuce specifically grown for June.  It was dressed in a tangy dijon vinaigrette that also had balancing sweetness.  For my second cocktail, I decided on something stronger in the Noisette Manhattan.  I'm not connoisseur with this drink, but I did have one a few weeks ago at another restaurant and this was better.  The whiskey went down real easy while still being impactful with some dark wood notes with a touch of sweetness. 

One of our favourite dishes (amongst many favourites), the Mussels were large, plump and perfectly-prepared.  These came with a fino sherry cream sauce.  It was not a heavy as it looked while still being full-bodied and flavourful.  Mildly-seasoned, the sauce was earthy while lightly sweet with a touch of spice from the chilis.  There was an extra serving of sauce on the side so we could fill each shell or dip our bread into.

The real showstopper dish was Pasta for Rachel featuring a whole sheet of ravoili.  Rachel is Chef Sperling's wife (her English name) and yes, he made this pasta for her.  These were filled with potato and comté cheese where it was bordering on salty but just riding that fine line.  That meant these raviolis were flavourful on its own while the firmly al dente pasta was also properly seasoned.  In addition to the black pepper on top, the dish was finished off by a generous dollop of Beurre d'Isigny.

After the pasta, we didn't think there would be anything to equal its deliciousness.  However, the June Burger did just that.  First, we had a beautifully buttered brioche bun.  It softly hugged all of the components and provided the perfect encapsulation of the juicy meaty patty.  It was topped off by rich and nutty gruyère, sweet caramelized onions and what I think was braised beef.  The added jus made this even more meaty-tasting and super moist.  Oh, and the mustard provided just enough tang to break up the heaviness a touch.  One of the best burgers I've had period.

Of course we had to get the Fries to go with the burger right?  This large portion consisted of long strands of perfectly crispy potatoes.  They were pretty crunchy overall and well-salted, so there wasn't much creamy potato texture inside.  I didn't mind that as I dunked them into the dips (mustard extraordinaire, and house mayo).  We had one more drink to go with our desserts in the Coffee Cocktail with orange liqueur.   Not sure what the actual name of this drink was because we couldn't find it on the menu.  But it was rich with plenty of coffee bitterness to go with the aromatic sweetness of the liqueur.  This went well with the next item...

Yes, the coffee cocktail paired beautifully with the Chocolate mousse cake with crème Anglais. This was balanced in terms of sweetness while having plenty of chocolate impact.  The mousse was light and creamy while wrapped in hazelnut ganache and benefitted from the nuttiness of Frangelico.  The extra layer of crunch provided textural contrast.  Lastly, we sampled their Soft Serve du Jour which was rhubarb and creamsicle.  Nicely light and refreshing, the flavours were apparent with a balance between sweetness and tanginess.  The addition of fermented orange afforded some salty citrusy notes.  Complimentary texture came in the form of crispy spruce tip meringues.  All I have to say is "Wow".  This meal was so delicious where I was wanting to do it all again the next day.  Another great addition to the Vancouver restaurant scene and I'm thinking this will have the potential of a Michelin-Star and being on Canada's Top 100 Restaurants real soon.

 

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

 

The Good:

- Perfect execution with the proteins

- Not lacking flavour

- Great vibe

 

The Bad:

- Some items were bordering on salty.  I personally didn't mind it, but others might. 

 

H2 Kitchen & Bar (Sunday Supper)

It has been a minute since I've last visited H2 Kitchen & Bar nestled within the Westin Bayshore hotel.  They've gone through a few iterations with the current setup being a casual dining spot with a BBQ focus.  I've had that a few times now and it has been pretty solid, especially for a hotel restaurant (that are usually not known for thinking out-of-the-box).  This time around, we were here for their Sunday Supper Series and to have a few of their other items on the menu.  This is not the first time I've tried their Sunday Supper, as they used to have a family-style menu.  Now they feature a 3-course meal for only $43.00!

For the first course, there is an option of either the Caesar Salad or Chicken Corn Chowder.  We went for the chowder because I've also had that before and it was great!  Topped with a piece of puffed pastry, the large bowl was packed with delicate corn niblets that burst with intense sweetness and tender pulp.  There was a wealth of chicken that was moist and tender.  As for the broth itself, the viscosity was on the thinner side, but fine by us since it wasn't overly heavy.  It was sweet, a bit creamy and spot-on with the salt content.

The featured plate for the Sunday Supper was the Cherry Cola Braised Short Rib with celeriac polenta, pickled gem tomato and charred broccolini.  Compared to some of the past featured mains, this was one of the more appealing offerings.  The large piece of boneless short rib was for tender and succulent.  A bit sweet and full of umami, it really took on the flavours of the braise.  Rich and creamy, the polenta had some aggressive seasoning (which was good).  Broccolini was vibrant with a fresh crunch.

For dessert, we had the Roasted Apple Cheesecake with shortbread crust, roasted apples, oat crumble, vanilla ice cream and brandy snap.  This was a pretty dense cheesecake and we weren't surprised as it was New York style.  Plenty of baked cream cheese flavor with balanced sweetness.  Loved the roasted apple on top as it added a sweet fruitiness.  It was mixed with oat crumble which added texture as well as nuttiness.  The vanilla ice cream wasn't completely necessary, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Of course we didn't just have the Sunday Supper and call it a day...  We also had some other dishes including the Firecracker Shrimp.  This was more about the crunchy batter (must've had rice flour) than anything else.  It held up to the sweet, tangy and spicy sauce nicely.  The Buffalo Wings were okay, but really needed more sauce.  The meat was moist and the batter was still crispy, but there was a lack of moisture and flavour to the dish.

With a bevy of legit cheese curds, the Waffle Fries Poutine was pretty good.  First off, the waffle fries were crispy while still maintaining a soft potato texture.  They topped it with a balanced gravy that wasn't too salty, but had enough flavour though.  Just like it should be, the cheese curds weren't completely melted, so we go that squeak.  Not pictured was the side of brisket, that should've been on top of the poutine.  When we added it, there was much more body and layers of meatiness.

From the Happy Hour menu, we selected the Fish Taco as well as the Burnt End Sliders.  The fish taco was pretty solid where the piece of flaky fish was rather large and coated with a crispy batter.  The usual condiments were there.  Really loved the sliders where the meat was tender but had candied bark that was smoky and sweet.  A slice of pickle helped add some acidity while the Hawaiian buns were soft and sweet.

So we couldn't not order something from their BBQ menu right?  I've had their larger combo platters before, but we had to get something smaller since we had so much food already.  Therefore, we settled on the CAB Smoked Brisket with mac & cheese and market vegetables.  This plate was generous with 2 thick slices of brisket.  Although it looked dry at first, the meat was decently moist and completely fork tender.  We chose the O.G. H2 BBQ Sauce and it was smoky, sweet and tangy.  Veggies were still crunchy while cooked through.  Mac was al dente with lots of real cheese, but we would've liked to see more cheese sauce for moisture.

Looking enormous with 2 crispy strips of bacon, the Whiskey BBQ Burger was delicious.  The well-seared beef patty was crispy and smoky on the outside while still being fairly moist on the inside.  The aged cheddar provided some smokiness while the bacon did the same as well as adding some crunch.  A few tempura-battered onion rings provided even more crunch.  This was all sandwiched in a toasted brioche bun.

We ended up with the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich as well since I wanted to reminisce about my fried chicken sandwich IG account (that I no longer update due to bad cholesterol...  LOL).  This was a serviceable version with a generous amount of juicy chicken coated in a crunchy batter.  We found the heat level to be rather mild though.  Bun was soft with crispy surface areas while the slaw was crunchy and fresh.

We ended up ordering 2 drinks including the Gin in the Garden and the Fig & Strawberry Spritz.  Really enjoyed the first drink as it was refreshing and light with floral notes.  The second was a mocktail and was also floral with some tang.  We added a second dessert in the Banana Pudding Jar.  Despite my reservations about anything banana for dessert, this was actually fantastic.  Much better than the cheesecake.  Purposefully sweet and aromatic custard with fresh bananas.  This was yet another solid meal at H2 Kitchen & Bar where the food is much more casual than fine dining.  As you can probably tell, the dishes are comforting and generous in portion size.  Great for a date but also for the family as well.  The Sunday Supper deal is particularly a great value.

 

*Partial comp on the food and beverages for this blog post*

 

The Good:

- Sunday Supper 3-course meal is a great value

- Considering the portion size, it is a good value

- Nice dining space

 

The Bad:

- Wings were so-so

- Cheesecake a little too dense

Combine Cafe & Bar

For those who are not in the know, Surrey Central has become (or already is) a bustling and modern community that is on an upward trajectory.  Sure, there are still remnants of the old Whalley that has yet to be redeveloped, but the place is attracting people and businesses alike.  So it wasn't surprising to see a beautiful restaurant in Combine Cafe & Bar open up shop along King George Hwy near Fraser Hwy.  It is actually right across from the King George Skytrain station and dishes up food that is both sustainable and locally-sourced.

Jackie and I were invited to try the place out and we were impressed with what they have done with the space as it is inviting with lots of natural light.  We started with the some drinks including the Wine Flight and also a mocktail in the Cosmo.  The appetizer menu is fairly simple and at first, we were not interested in ordering the Baked Focaccia.  Well, thank goodness they recommended it because the bread was super fluffy and soft with a slightly crispy exterior.  The addition of tomatoes and peppers on the top afforded some moisture and pops of sweet tanginess.  They finished it off with some herbed butter and that just helped amp up the aromatics and butteriness.

Next, we had the Oysters Rockefeller that were a bit different than the traditional version.  It still had a creamy butter sauce, but had far more melted cheese on it.  In a sense, that helped lock in the moisture of the oyster and they turned out to be juicy and soft.  Lots of natural brininess from the fresh oysters.  There could've been a bit more sauce, but otherwise, this was a serviceable version.

We ended up building-our-own Charcuterie Board with cured salmon, smoked duck, gouda, chili jam, toasted almonds and pickled vegetables.  They did a fine job in arranging the items on the board where it looked appetizing.  I particularly enjoyed the cured salmon as they were in large slices and the texture was buttery.  Nice sweetness accented by just a bit of saltiness.  The smoked duck was good too being tender with a quick sear from the torch.  Not a fan of the pickled vegetables as I would've preferred distinguishable pieces rather than a blitz through the food processor.  Almonds were fantastic with a sweet crunch.

Onto the mains, we had the Chilean Chicken with chorizo, white wine cream sauce, mashed potatoes and roasted root vegetables.  I thought it was artfully plated with well-prepared components.  The root veggies were cooked through, yet still had a firmness to them.  They were intensely sweet from the caramelization.  The swaft of mashed potatoes was smooth and creamy.  Wished there was more of it though!  Chorizo was seared, hence it amplified the salty spice.  There was some smokiness too.  The chicken itself was a bit hit and miss.  The interior of the chicken leg was tender and moist, but the outer parts were a bit dry.

For the Oyster Cream Pasta, we added Teriyaki Salmon so that it would have some more protein.  We found the spaghetti to be perfectly al dente and bathed in a minimal amount of cream sauce.  I thought that was okay, but the promise of oyster sweet and brininess wasn't really there.  I mean, the pasta was solid and it did have enough seasoning, just needed more oysters or oyster liquour.   I would be fine paying more money for more oysters in the dish.  As for the salmon we added, it was not dry, but not moist either, somewhere in between.  The sauce was tasty though and the amount of it helped keep the salmon from being dry.

For dessert, we had the Ooops! Ice Cream which was more playful than anything else.  Consisting of vanilla bean ice cream with a waffle cone inverted on top, the dish also had berry compote, poached pear and cookie crumbs.  So was this something I would normally order?  Well no, but I enjoyed it all the same.  The ice cream was rich and creamy while the cone was crispy and aromatic.  The compote and pear added some bright fruitiness and the crumbs provided more texture.  In general, Combine Cafe & Bar is a stylish place where you can enjoy drinks with friends.  The food is quite serviceable but some further refinement is needed for them to be competitive with similar restaurants.

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

The Good:

- Wonderful space

- Serviceable eats

- On the right track

The Bad:

- Food needs further refinement