Modern Pantry (West Vancouver)

As much as I travel for food (as far as Chilliwack), it isn't often I venture into West Vancouver.  I think the last time I was here, it was at Terroir Kitchen with Mijune.  So it was a bit ironic that the first place I hit up in West Van since then was at the Modern Pantry.  Fate would have it, this was the former location of Terroir Kitchen (La Regalade before that) and guess who was with me?  This is actually the 2nd location of the Modern Pantry as their original location is in North Vancouver.

We started off with the Grain Bowl which was both vegan and gluten free.  it consisted of marinated chickpeas with turmeric and cumin, rosemary pickled onions, roasted yams, kale and maple tahini dressing.   That was good, but the Hearty Salad won me over, with feta marinated in honey, oregano, fennel and chili flakes, kale, roasted yams, pumpkin seeds, cabbage and mushrooms.  There was a bevy of textures and flavours (including tang, spice, salt and sweetness) that kept me wanting to eat more.

Grand in size, the Quiche featured sweet potato and feta on whole wheat laminated pastry.  This was very light, eggy and airy.  For some, I could see that it wouldn't be firm enough, but for me, it was good.  It was easy to eat and the texture was consistent throughout.  Naturally, it was sweet due to the ingredients with a touch of cheesiness.  Loved the pastry as it was flaky and crispy, even on the bottom.

Hands down, the best savoury item was the Grilled Cheese.  Now it wasn't prepared in the classic manner where the bread was slathered in butter and cooked in a pan or flattop.  Rather, it was toasted house made sourdough sandwiching  aged white cheddar and spicy tomato jam.  This meant the bread was soft, warm and slightly chewy.  Inside, the cheese was sharp and that tomato jam had a kick as well as sweet tang.  Delicious!

A surprising item was the Veggie Sandwich featuring sourdough focaccia, roasted sweet potatoes and red peppers, caramelized onion feta spread and fresh dill.  If you know me, I love my meat, but hey, this sammie was packed full of flavour and texture.  There was considerable sweetness to the sandwich accented by the cheese and dill.  Loved the focaccia as it was crispy in parts, soft and slightly chewy in others.

One of the most visually-appealing items in the display case was the Breakfast Sandwich consisting of bread made with brioche dough with spinach, cheddar and onion.  Inside, there was sambal mayo, soft-boiled egg and cheddar.  Loved the egg, it looked inviting and it ate with a custardy centre.  Bread was tasty with plenty of inherent flavour but was a bit firm.  Mayo and cheese complimented the egg well and it was a nice little bite.

Off to the Sweets portion of the tasting, we had a bevy of delicious items including the Northshore Cookie with coffee, pretzels, chocolate, coconut, granola and sea salt.  This was pretty crunch, especially the edges.  Lots of flavours and with the addition of salt, it further heightened everything else.  Apparently, the Brownie has been 10-years in the making since Kendall (the owner operator) has been perfecting it for that long.  Well, it was chocolatey, chewy and consistent in texture throughout.  Good brownie!  We were truly impressed with the Gluten-Free Burnt Lemon Cake as it was blessed with lemon and cardamom drizzled with white chocolate orange syrup.  This was essentially a financier with hits of tang and sweetness.  On the same plate, there was a Apple Oat Coffee Cake with fresh and dried apples within an almond streusel.  The cake itself was fluffy and just sweet enough.  On top, the crunch and sweetness from the almond streusel was a delicious textural contrast.  Also fluffy, the Vegan Coconut Loaf was not all dense (especially being vegan).  It was aromatic and again, purposefully sweet.  Although the Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookie would be an appropriate name, they are actually nicknamed "Kendall Cookies" because the kids of returning customers would ask for them by that name.  I understand why because they were a bit crispy on the edges but soft and chewy in the middle.  There was a nuttiness from the butter and of course sweetness from the chocolate chunks.  Now the best of these was the Pear Danish with lemon cream cheese.  The laminated pastry couldn't have been any more on point.  So crispy and light with defined layers.  It was of course buttery and the lemon cream cheese was tang and smooth.  Tender pears on top were the proverbial icing on the cake.  I highly recommend this item.  Well, I would actually recommend almost everything because it is obvious that Kendall puts her heart into the food and overall feel of the place.  If you happen to be on the North Shore, I suggest you check it out.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Carefully crafted food
- Owner that is passionate and cares
- Welcoming space

The Bad:
- It is a small space though

Shameless Buns

For the time being, it appears that restaurants have it tough considering that they are paying for rent and are limited to the amount of people who can dine-in.  Furthermore, the fixed costs in running a restaurant aren't exactly something they can stop paying for.  Fortunately, some are able to pivot and do more takeout and offer other options.  One type of food purveyor that seems to be able to weather this storm are food trucks.  All of the costs involved with a food truck are not going to waste and they do not need to worry about offering a dine-in space.   With that in mind, Jacqueline and I made our way out to the Clayton Community Farmer's Market in the parking lot of Clayton Heights Secondary to make the long overdue visit to Shameless Buns.

Known for their sammies (hence, the name Shameless Buns), we tried the Tapa Dat Bun consisting of marinated beef, chipotle cheese sauce, sarsi caramelized onions, sriracha mayo, chicharron and green onions on toasted pandesal.  This was messy, yet ultimately delicious.  Tender and practically fall-apart tender, the beef by itself was on the saltier side, but combined with the soft sweet bun and the spice from the mayo, it was balanced and complete.

Since we are in October and we both love Spam, it was only fitting to try the Pumpkin Spice Sir Spam-A-Lot topped with a fried farm egg, onions, green onions, fried garlic and smoky maple mayo on toasted pandesal.  We really enjoyed this as the pumpkin spice was not overwhelming so that the Spam was able to do its salty and fatty thing.  Again, this meshed well with the sweet bun and the sharpness of the onions.

The most surprising item we tried was the Filipino Spaghetti Lumpia with chipotle cheese sauce.  Okay, I've had lumpia and Filipino spaghetti before, but not combined into one item!  I was skeptical because of the carb on carb premise, but holy moly this was outrageously good.  The outer wrapper was firmly crunchy and held the whole thing together successfully.  Inside, the al dente spaghetti was its usual sweet self with sausage.  Cheese sauce added the necessary moisture and spice.

Another majestic-looking offering was the Adobo Fries sporting crispy AF (yes they were!) sinigang fries, braised chicken adobo, garlic calamansi aioli, tomato, green onion and fried garlic.  Literally, this ate like a meal since there was so much tender chicken on top!  Loved the hints of acidity from the adobo and aioli where it helped brighten the dish.  The fries remained crispy despite the plethora of toppings and even after our incessant picture-taking!

Along the same lines, we also had the Sausage Party with the same crispy AF sinigang fries, longaniza, garlic calamansi aioli, sexy farm egg, sriracha mayo, green onion and fried garlic.  There was some similarities with the adobo fries except the sausage added sweetness while the egg yolk was at its silky best.  So if it wasn't obvious to you, the food at Shameless Buns isn't your typical Filipino fare.  There is plenty of creativity and risks being taken.  From what we tried, the result is Food Network worthy eats that tastes as outrageously good as they appear.  Definitely recommended.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:

- Creative take on Filipino food (modernized)

- No shortage of flavour

- Truck moves to multiple locations

The Bad:

- Not diet food.  LOL...

Terroir Kitchen

When it still existed, La Regalade could be classified as a hidden gem in West Van, albeit an expensive one.  However, it was worth it due to the large portions of rustic French cuisine.  Now in its place, there is something very much different in Terroir Kitchen. Gone is the cramped seating and boisterous room.  We now find a finer dining experience with well-spaced tables and a serene environment.  Furthermore, the cuisine reflects that with precision and refinement.  Mijune and I decided to check the tasting menu out right after our dinner at Water Street Cafe.  Yes, she is truly a bad influence.  Now back to the gym...

Our meal started with a Seared Scallop atop boudin noir, minted pea puree and flaked pastry.  If perfection is a real thing, than this first bite was it.  The scallop couldn't have been seared any more evenly as it was nutty and sweet while the centre was buttery soft.  Not to be outdone, the accompaniments were stellar including the earthy boudin and the sweet pea puree.  I could've eaten 10 more of these easily (Mijune could do 20 because she is Mijune).  The Charred Octopus was nearly as good.  It was smoky with a light crust giving way to tenderness with a light resistance.  I felt the octopus was a bit over-salted though.  Underneath, there was potato and orange salad, green olives and N'duja salami.  Seeing how the octopus was already salty, it didn't help that the olives and salami also added more punch.  Despite this, this was still very tasty.

Going in a different direction we had the Mushroom Risotto.  This was a bit perplexing to me as it resembled a cream of mushroom soup with rice more than a risotto.  I'm not sure if it was the chef's intention to have it that saucy, but in the end, the rice was still al dente.  Flavours were good too with plenty of woodsiness from the morels and a touch of tang to go with it as well as cheesiness (from the grana padano).  Even though I gushed about the scallop, the best dish hands down was the Branzino with dungeness crab, pea shoots, squash and broth.  First off, the fish was absolutely the star with crispy well-seasoned skin while being tender and flaky.  Second best thing on the plate was the impactful broth that was full of punch that was a balance of all flavours except for spice.  The dish looked light and indeed it was, yet at the same time, exuding very powerful flavours.

Moving away from seafood, we had the Grilled 45-day Aged Striploin with smashed fingerling potatoes and red wine jus.  Prepared medium-rare and properly rested, there was not much to complain about with the steak.  It was meaty, nutty, juicy and tender.  Surprisingly, I equally loved the meaty potatoes underneath.  For dessert, we were served a platter consisting of Chocolate Pavé, Pot de Crème, Chateau de Bourgogne Cheese with cassis poached pear and burnt almond biscotti.  Okay, the best thing on the board was the pot de crème as it was balanced and super silky.  Loved the cocoa nibs on top.  Normally, I'm not much a cheese person for dessert, but this was so creamy and satisfying, we actually got some grilled bread to eat it with!  Finally, the chocolate pavé was rich and not overly sweet while exhibiting an appealing bitter aftertaste.  As you can see, the meal was pretty delicious with some extraordinary highlights.  Sure, the risotto was a bit soupy, but everything else was impressive.  Nice little spot out in West Van.

The Good:
- Almost everything was prepared properly
- Impactful flavours
- Spacious seating

The Bad:
- Downtown pricing in West Van
- Risotto was too soupy

Mangia e Bevi

Let's face it, there is only enough time to visit that many restaurants within a year or even two.  Unless your name is Mijune Pak, it is unlikely one has the time nor the budget to hit all of the good spots in town so quickly and so often.  Therefore, for me, Mangia e Bevi fits into the category of "I've seen this many times and wanted to try but never have".  Every time I go into West Van, I seem to see the place, become curious and then forget about it.  In fact, I've been to many of the spots around it, but never have made the effort to dine there.  Finally, it was time to try the place out with a willing partner in Emily.

Seeing how there was only 2 of us, it didn't stop us from making a dent into the menu beginning with Ravioli Ai Merluzzo E Pesto Bianco or deconstructed beet-infused ravioli with butter-poached black cod, red prawn and white pesto.  The thin and slightly soft pasta sheets were tender, yet still had a mild chew.  The flaky black cod was buttery (cooked just right) and well-seasoned, in particular the garlic content.  With a sweet snap, the shrimp added another appealing factor into the dish.  Next was the Carpaccio Cremoso featuring tender and thin slices of buttery beef drizzled with a creamy Parmesan truffle aioli and fried capers.  In the centre, we found delicious crispy Parmesan crostinis.  This dish was on point texturally and in terms of flavour, the truffle oil was muted enough that it didn't overwhelm.  Some parts were on the saltier side though.

Moving onto the pasta course, we were served both dishes on one sharing plate.  We got the idea of the concept, but it didn't bode well for pictures!  The first was Tagliolini Con Gamberetti with red prawns, tomato, fennel, arugula, pepperoncino and extra virgin olive oil.  The pasta was nicely al dente being firmly chewy.  Due to the pepperoncino, the sauce was spicy and continually elevated as we ate the pasta.  We enjoyed the mild salt content, but then again, the buttery shrimp were salty on their own.  To balance off the flavours, there was enough tang in the tomato sauce for an acidic brightness.  For our other pasta, we went creamy and rich with the Ravioli Ai Funghi Ai Salvia filled with mushrooms, mascarpone, ricotta, and white truffle oil  topped with sage-brown butter sauce.  Again, the pasta itself was al dente while the filling was creamy and light.  Flavours were predictable being chewy, Earthy and smoky buttery.

As if this wasn't enough food already, we moved onto 2 mains including the Anatra Due Modi featuring confit leg of duck with parsnip puree and roast duck breast with pine nuts and frangelico-orange sauce.  I found the brined duck breast to be tender and a bit salty.  The skin was a little fatty and somewhat crispy.  On the other hand, the leg was completely rendered with crispy skin.  However, the meat was somewhat dry, especially the parts near the surface. Loved the smooth parsnip puree while the orange sauce was sweet with a mild tang.  Our last savoury dish was the Rombo Amalfitano or potato-crusted halibut with limoncello-chive butter sauce.  The halibut was unfortunately dry, but still relatively ok.  The potato crust was crispy and well-browned, yet greasy.  Lightly sweet and tangy, the sauce went well with the fish, while the cheesy risotto was actually pretty good.  It did need more salt though.

For dessert, we shared the cliched dessert being the Tiramisu.  It looked decent and in the end was not bad.  The espresso-soaked ladyfingers were moist and flavourful while only being lightly sweet.  However, the marscapone cream was on the sweeter side and balanced out the ladyfingers.  For some reason, I wasn't that engaged with this dessert even though I've had my fair share of bad tiramisu (and this one wasn't bad).  Overall, the meal wasn't bad with a few bright spots.  However, considering the prices, I guess we were expecting more?

The Good:
- Effort was put into the food
- Wonderful service
- Classy ambiance

The Bad:
- Pricey
- A few execution issues (dry halibut, dry confit duck leg)

Hugo's Restaurant

You can say what you want about Groupon (and there is a lot to say), but there have been adventures (food and non-food) that I would've never considered if there wasn't a deal.  Call it a "comfort zone" liberator of sorts.  This was definitely the case when we had to drive all the way out to the Horseshoe Bay for dinner one night.  I bought a coupon for Hugo's Restaurant not knowing where it was exactly located.  After driving down a narrow and sometimes treacherous road, we ended up at a little quaint lodge-type spot right along the water.

This would probably the last place to find Asian-inspired comfort food, but alas, that was the bulk of the menu.  Hence, the Wonton Nachos with sriracha aioli, pickled ginger, nori, white cheddar and wasabi guacamole definitely fit the theme.  I would say this dish in theory was solid, but it wasn't executed properly.  The darn thing wasn't hot where the generous amount of shredded cheese had not melted.  On the positive side, the wonton chips were airy and crunchy.  Loved the blend of flavours as it really worked.  Wished we had more nori as the umaminess was impactful.  Also served luke warm was the Mac 'n Cheese that was made with a bechamel sauce.  We found the noodles to be on point, but the flavours were definitely muted.  It was neither sharp or salty enough.  On the other hand, it was creamy and there was a good amount of melted cheese on top.

Continuing the theme of food that was served cold was the Gochujang Wings.  This was actually quite good but the fact it was not hot meant the flavours were not activated.  Surprisingly, the temperature did not compromise the firm crispiness of the exterior of the wings.  We found the gochujang hit to be on the sweeter side, but still impactful nonetheless.  The method of baking them first and then deep-frying created a unique and appealing texture.  Finally, we got something that was served hot in the Peking Express Pizza with BBQ duck, hoisin and roasted garlic.  This in theory sounded great and in fact, it was not bad.  The crust was fairly thin, yet only crispy and charred mostly on the edges.  There was a generous amount of melted cheese on top with only a spattering of duck (which was a bit dry).  Due to this, the pizza tasted mostly of cheese and hoisin.  This could've been more impactful if there was more duck.

Saving the best for last, we had to wait quite a while for the Beef Burger.  It was worth it though as the toasted brioche bun was really good.  It stood up well to the meaty 6 oz fresh beef patty that tasted completely natural except for some salt and pepper.  The cheddar cheese was nicely melted and the fresh tomato and mesclun greens provided some moisture (as the meat was pretty lean).  Topping it off was some mild sriracha mayo.  Now that was good, but the side of fresh cut fries were amazing.  Medium-sized and long, the fries were crunchy and light with considerable potato texture inside.  One of the better ones I've had in a while.  Now with that in mind, that was probably because they were served piping hot.  The same couldn't be said about most of the other dishes.  There is definitely potential here, but the kitchen has to be more efficient and organized.

The Good:
- Some interesting ingredients
- Friendly owner
- Those fries!

The Bad:
- Strangely, more than half of our dishes were cold
- Food too awhile    

The Truffle House

It's not often that Viv and I get a day off together.  We're too busy earning money to feed our children's expensive habits.  Those buggers better be grateful!  Anyways, we got to sleep in a bit (which is a complete rarity) and then we headed out to the recycling depot. Ah yes, even on a day off, we are doing chores!  After that, we headed over to the North Shore to pick up some items for our son's birthday party (again, what have we done for ourselves???).  I guess we finally enjoyed our day when we hopped over to The Truffle House in West Van for lunch.

Upon being seated at our table, the aroma of truffle filled the room.  As such, we began with the Parmesan Truffle Fries.  It was appropriate for the Parm to be ahead of the truffle in the menu description as there was enough of it to coat every crispy fry. Hence, they were cheesy, nutty and salty.  This was accented by white truffle oil and black truffle which gave the fries a whole bunch of musty woodsiness.  To top it all off, there was truffle mayo on the side.  Continuing with the theme, we had the Truffle Mac & Cheese featuring a white cheddar & gruyere truffle mornay sauce with white truffle oil.  This earthy and impactful sauce coated each tender, yet still al dente macaroni.  I would say the flavours were pretty intense and long-lasting.

Normally, a Croque Monsieur can be pretty heavy, but this one was downright large.  In addition to the size of the soft and moist brioche, there was a considerable amount of salty black forest ham and melted gruyere cheese.  The layer of bechamel was not excessive, but it was still buttery and creamy.  Add in the runny egg yolk and this was decadent and delicious.  We then went from rich to downright heavy with the Short Rib Tortiglioni with braised short ribs, green peas, cremini & shimeji mushrooms, pearl onions and beef jus cream sauce. I've had my fair share of cream sauces, but this one was really creamy and fatty.  Don't get me wrong, it tasted great with a mild saltiness accented by the meatiness of the somewhat dry and chewy short rib, but it was hard to down more than a few bites.  Despite the last dish, we enjoyed the first 3 in the cute little dining space.  Consider The Truffle House as a little gem tucked away in Dundarave.

The Good:
- If you love truffle...
- Impactful flavours
- Wonderful service

The Bad:
- Heavy and rich
- A touch pricey 

Feast Dining: The Neighbourhood Table

As much as I try to make it out to West Van for eats, it never really happens that often.  Consider it partly due to distance and the fact there are not many spots I am dying to try either.  So with that attitude, it wasn't surprising that Emily and I went in with no expectations when we were invited for a meal at Feast Dining.  Despite being located in sleepy Dundarave, there was no parking in front of Feast.  I had to park further down the street.  No real issue other than it was pouring and I forgot my umbrella.  Emily had her birdcage umbrella, but was unwilling to share with me...  LOL...

Anyways, while we were perusing the menu, Emily kept bugging me to order the Avocado & Beet Fries.  I merely brushed her off thinking she was crazy...  Well, I was proven wrong as the dish was a fantastic.  The light tempura was crispy and not overly greasy.  Inside, the beets were tender and sweet while the ripe avocado surprisingly held up well to the deep-fry.  Combined with the herbed goat cheese and roasted pumpkin seeds, there was this cooling creaminess to go with a nutty firmness.  The flavours were complete with the sweet and tangy sauce.  At first, we were concerned with the amount of artichoke aioli atop the Smoked Beef Carpaccio.  Our worries were abated since the meaty slices of smoky beef held up well to the aioli.  The addition of fried capers added a pleasant amount of salt and tanginess as well as a crunch to each bite.

We had originally ordered a 3rd appie in the mussels, but they ran out.  So as a substitute, we had the Pablano & Crab Dip.  Well, I'm sure their mussels are good, yet it turns out that the dip was very good.  Chock full of fluffy crab chunks, marscapone and pablanos, the whole thing was rich, creamy and a bit spicy.  The fry bread on the side served as a crispy and chewy vessel for the dip.  It was a bit on the greasier side though.  For that, I preferred the crunchy tortilla chips over the bread.  Before I talk about the entrees, we had ordered 3 sides including the Parmesan Fries with aioli.  These house-cut fries were lightly crispy with plenty of potato goodness left inside.  There was no mistaking the nutty and salty parmesan as it was aggressively mixed with the fries.

The most decadent of the 3 sides was definitely the Black Truffle Mac & Cheese.  After a few spoonfuls, it was pretty evident that they didn't skimp on the black truffle as we could eyeball and taste it.  In addition, the whole thing was rich and cheesy with a mild sharpness.  The noodles stood up well to the moisture by being still firm while the crunchy topping added some texture.  From a heavy and rich, we headed off to some Sauteed Kale and Chickpeas.  Simply salted and sauteed with diced onion, the kale was vibrant and crisp with a bite.  The chickpeas were a bit soft, but okay.  This was a fine side except for the overuse of salt.  It would've been fine with half the amount.

Onto the mains, we weren't going to order the FFC (Feast Fried Chicken), but according to a friend on Facebook (they saw my check-in), I really had to order it.  Turns out it was a good call because it was well-executed.  From the uniformly crispy well-seasoned and rendered skin (drizzled with honey) to the fairly moist meat (especially for free-run chicken), there was not much to dislike about the dish.  Even the whipped potatoes were on point being well-seasoned and creamy.  Although the gravy was a bit runny, it was flavourful in a non-salty manner.  Our other entree was the 16 oz. Ribeye with frites and wedge salad.  Although the steak itself didn't look like much, it was prepared a perfect medium-rare and well-seasoned.  Combined with the quality of the meat, it ate buttery and tender.

For dessert, dug into the Lemon Curd first.  This was attractively plated in a jar on top of slate tile (much like the other dishes).  Beyond the light whipped cream, the lemon curd was smooth, also light and mildly sweet.  The tartness was evident but not overwhelming.  The crust at the bottom was quite good too being firm and crumbly.  We ended things off with the Donuts dusted with cinnamon sugar and served with 2 dips (chocolate and caramel).  Light and fluffy inside, the exterior was a touch too dark and crunchy.  However, this is subjective because I'm sure some like it crunchy.  I much preferred the chocolate rather than the caramel, but for Emily, it was the opposite.  The desserts were a fine end to a really good meal.  Things were executed well while the flavours were on point too.

*All food and beverages excluding gratuities were complimentary*

The Good:
- Well-executed eats
- Things just tasted good
- Warm, homey atmosphere

The Bad:
- A little pricey, but it is West Van