Bar Asra

As much as I try to keep up-to-date with all of the new restaurants in town, there are a bunch I completely miss.  It can be due to a variety of factors, such as limited promotion whether it be through traditional means or social media.  Also, the place might have not received much coverage from the usual outlets in town.  Well, the one great thing about being asked to check a restaurant out is that I actually get to learn about them.  The most recent one is Bar Asra located in the original Vij's.  This place has a unique decor and vibe.  Rather low-key and relaxed.  Led by Executive Chefs Kanwardeep Ahluwalia and Baldeep Singh, they have crafted a menu this is global but with West Coast connections.  Nice place to grab a drink and some eats.

We ended up getting 3 appetizers to share including the West Coast Crab Cakes.  This came with good-sized crab cakes that were crispy on the outside.  Inside, the amount of crab was more so than filler, hence, it was fluffy and almost crumbly.  This was paired with a sauce gribiche that was creamy and tangy.  Rounding out the compliments, we found avocado mousse and tomatillo salsa.  I thought the mousse added creaminess and colour, but the salsa was probably not needed as the gribiche was already doing the heavy lifting.

Based on first impressions, we didn't know what to think about the Black Garlic Chicken Skewers.  They were certainly black and didn't seem all that appealing.  However, we were very wrong as the white meat chicken was actually rather moist while the flavour emanating from the black garlic ash, yogurt and ginger was full of depth.  We got rich sweetness as well as tanginess and a bit of earthiness.  Some lemon aioli on the plate added creaminess with a touch of acidity.

Shockingly, my favourite item of the meal was the Sweet & Sour Pork Belly.  Normally, I would stay far away from this dish (as this is not a Chinese restaurant), but they did a fantastic job with their version.  First of all, the pork belly had a good mix of meat and just a bit of fat.  The pieces were crispy while tender.  It sat on a bed of chunky pineapple salsa which added a brightness and sweet tanginess to the dish.  However, it was the glaze that did the trick here.  It was lightly sweet, plenty tangy and had the right viscosity.  Super delicious!

Another delicious offering was the Bacon & Mussels Hot Pot.  Good portion size here where all of the large mussels were open and tasted fresh.  A bit creamy and full of depth, the tomato broth was mild with hits of smoked bacon and garlic.  I liked how it had tomato flavour without being too tangy.  The grilled sourdough was crunchy and charred, while helping to soak up all of the tasty broth.  We got an extra order of the bread too!

Our other main dish was the CAB NY Striploin prepared medium-rare.  It was as such and super tender.  The herb compound butter added a silky herb finish to each bite.  I would've liked a bit more char on the steak, but it didn't make or break the dish.  Possibly cleaner plating would've enhanced the dish more so as well.  We added foraged mushrooms ($7 surcharge) and it was a good move as they were buttery and had a nice texture.  Moreover, we also got the charred broccolini ($7 surcharge) and they were definitely smoky while still having a crunch.

Couldn't do without the cocktails, so we had 3 of them and one mocktail.  From left-to-right, we had the Yuzual Please, The Devil Drinks Margarita, Taking the Pisco and Peachy Clean.  Some really dangerous drinks here as they were fruity and went down easy.  The easiest was the Yuzual Please which was bright and citrusy.  There was some spice to the Margarita and definite red wine vibes.  The Pisco had hits of apple and rhubarb but wasn't just fruity as the tequila was still at the forefront.  Lastly, the Peachy Clean was floral and sweet, but at the same time, had elements that made it taste not like a mocktail.

Onto dessert, we had the Dubai Chocolate Bar surrounded by fried vermicelli noodles and dulce de leche.  The bar itself was what Dubai Chocolate is about.  Smooth and silky with pistachio with chocolate ganache, there was also a definite crunch and nuttiness.  It was sweet, but not as sweet as some other versions I've had.  Overall, the meal we had at Bar Asra was a good one and portions were not lacking.  Cool cocktails and a relaxed vibe in a restaurant that seems more Main Street than South Granville, but welcomed as it is something different in the neighbourhood.

 

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

 

The Good:

- Some great flavours

- Great portion sizes

- Relaxed vibe with tasty cocktails

 

The Bad:

- Plating could be re-imagined 

 

Niwa

Recently, Air Canada released its list of the best new restaurants in Canada.  One of the places mentioned is Niwa out on a strip of great restaurants on Powell Street near Victoria Drive.  After great meals at other nominated restaurants such as Le Violon, Elem, June, Linny's and Pancée, I was excited to check out Niwa.  Viv and I went to celebrate her birthday with their Chef's Menu for a reasonable $85.00.

Our meal began with a few snacks including Assorted Pickles, Seiglinde Potato Salad and Country-Style Berkshire Pork Pâté.  These were pretty standard items in many tasting menus I've had as of late.  The pickled celery and radish were crunchy and punchy, but we thought the carrot was a bit bland.  Potato salad was creamy with crunchy onions and pops of roe.  Pate was firm with light meatiness.  It came with a small dollop of mustard and a slice of gherkin.  

One last snack was the Sablefish served as a cube of reconstituted meat.  It was fluffy and tender with a wasabi kick.  We added the Uni Shooter supplement and it was served with seaweed and ponzu.  For mine, it was bright and sweet, but Viv's was funky and not as fresh.  Our last supplemental dish was the Fife Bread.  It had a crunchy crust with a soft and chewy centre.  It was served with a squash compote that had sweet and earthy melon vibes along with a pork butter that was melty and baconesque.

Onto our next course, the Tofu Pocket was stuffed with mochi and mushrooms.  It sat in a dashi that was smoky and had the essence of dried orange peel.  We enjoyed the texture of the chewy tofu skin pocket, but the mochi in the middle was too soft and a bit slimy.  We would've liked to see it firmer.  As for the mushrooms, they were flavourful with a great texture.

We moved onto a salad of sorts with the Kohlrabi dressed in black vinegar and chili oil.  Combined with Asian pear, there was a mix of hard and soft crunch textures.  We had some natural sweetness, but with the black vinegar, it was the most dominant flavour.  There was a bit of spice for the chili oil, but it was muted.  This was fairly pleasant and light, where we were leading up to the next item.

That next item was our favourite dish of the meal, the Golden Eagle Sablefish.  Although we felt the dish could've been seasoned more aggressively, the overall execution was good.  Each large piece of sablefish was buttery and soft while barely cooked through.  The fish itself could've been salted more, but the preserved matsutake sauce had enough umami to make up for it.

As a side for the sablefish, we had the Crawford Farms Turnips with sweet onion.  This was quite good with soft turnips that still had a bite.  Of course there was some natural earthiness here and it was complimented by the fermented saltines of the miso on top.  Furthermore, the charred Ailsa Craig onions added both crunch and natural sweetness.

At this point, we thought our meal was over, but then came the Stewed Pork Shoulder Rice with seaweed.  This was a pretty rustic dish if you can imagine.  It was served over chewy sushi rice.  In general, this was a hearty and comforting item with tender and fatty pork.  Mixed in with the seaweed, scallions and chewy sushi rice, each bite was meaty and filling.

Finishing off the Chef's Menu, we were presented with the Brown Butter Ice Cream Puffs.  I enjoyed the creamy, nutty and sweet ice cream.  It was further enhanced by the Irish whiskey caramel which was pretty sweet.  The choux pastry was decent having an airiness to it while crispy on the outside. Overall, the Chef's Menu at Niwa was decent, but not particularly impressive compared to the other best new restaurants nominees (as per Air Canada) I've visited in 2025.  I do think the Chef's Menu is a good value though and I'm curious about the evolution of the restaurant as it moves into 2026.

The Good:

- Fairly good value

- Attentive service

- Nice atmosphere

The Bad:

- Food is decent but not memorable

- Pretty dark in there

Skye Avenue - Kitchen & Lounge

For awhile, I knew that Skye Avenue had replaced the long-standing Central City Brewing at Surrey Central.  However, I just never made it out there to see what it was all about.  It wasn't until Executive Chef Bal (of Desi Lounge in Downtown Vancouver) raved about the burger at Skye Avenue, that piqued my interest.  So when Nikita and Bluebeard wanted to meet up for some eats and they suggested that Skye Avenue be one of the options, I totally agreed to meet them there. 

We arrived in time for their Happy Hour and in addition to getting some drink specials, we also started with a few food specials as well.  Instead of the usual ball shape, the Mushroom Arancini arrived as a rectangle slab.  I thought it was nicely crispy, but the inside was rather mushy.  It did have good flavour in the earthiness of mushroom and smokiness of eggplant puree.  In actual balls, the Smoked Salmon Croquettes were also a bit mushy inside too.  Yet, most croquettes are made with potato, so that was to be expected.  There was a smoky saltines to them and there was a bit of tartar sauce in the middle.

We got 2 more specials in the Wagyu Carpaccio and Prime Rib Slider.  We found the carpaccio to be a competent plate with thinly sliced and tender beef.  It was topped with flaked salt, aged pecorino, truffle aioli, arugula and some aged balsamic.  Again, it as pleasant enough but the focaccia that came with it was horrible.  It was hard and very dense.  As for the slider, it was excellent with a soft toasted bun, horseradish aioli, fontina cheese, crispy onions and au jus.  The beef itself was super tender and there was no absence of flavour and texture.  Should've gotten a few of these!

Onto the mains, Bluebeard and I shared the Lobster Cobb Salad as well as the burger.  As you can see with the salad, there was no absence of lobster meat.  It was at its bouncy and springy best with natural sweetness and brininess.  It featured tender butter lettuce, ripe avocado, cherry tomatoes, custardy soft-boiled egg and gorgonzola cheese.  I thought this was a very good salad with excellent components.

Now for the Chef's Burger, it was comprised of an 8oz organic grass fed house-ground patty.  That way, it could be prepared so it wasn't cooked to a crisp.  It was super juicy, meaty in flavour and of course tender.  It was topped with fontina, truffle aioli and crunchy onions all on a brioche bun.  Chef Bal was right, this burger had it all, a juicy patty, texture from the onions and a soft brioche bun.  Even the side of fries were really good being crispy with lots of creamy potatoness inside.

Viv wasn't very creative and also ordered a burger in the Fresh Sockeye Burger.  This featured a 5oz chermoula-marinated salmon patty with mango salsa, pickled coleslaw and tartare sauce on a charred leek bun.  So with all those tasty ingredients, the flavours were impactful.  We had sweetness, tanginess and brightness on the crispy and smoky bun.  However, the main ingredient, which was the salmon, was rather dry.  Being sockeye, I wasn't surprised as the meat is leaner and would dry out easier.  It did taste good though.

Lastly, Nikita had the Gluten-Free Margherita Flat Bread.  For a gluten-free crust, it was pretty good being crispy and not too dense.  The tomato sauce was bright and tangy while there was more than enough fior di latte on top for impact.  We also found some fresh basil, but would've preferred it added after the fact.  Overall, Skye Avenue is a competent restaurant with some real highlights.  The decor is quite nice and the service is top-notch.  I do believe a few refinements are here and there.

The Good:

- That burger!

- Nice decor

- Great service

The Bad:

- A few refinements needed

B House (Lunch Specials)

The last time I visited B House, it was for dinner and we had some pretty delicious dishes.  They are an Asian fusion restaurant that successfully blends different cuisines together.  As you might imagine, fusion doesn't always work, but when it does, it is addictive.  This should be no surprise though as head chef, Hung Nguyen, has ample experience in the culinary field as he is a graduate of the International Culinary School at the Arts Institute of Vancouver.  Also, he has worked extensively within the industry including being head chef at Rogue Kitchen & Bar.  To makes things even more enticing, B House is offering a $15.00 quick pick lunch menu from Monday to Thursdays until 3:00pm.  You know how expensive eating out (and even just buying groceries) is these days, so whenever there is a deal, it is a great thing (especially when it tastes good too!).

Jackie and I were invited to try some of the items out on said menu starting with the Yellowfin Poke Bowl.  Although I would've preferred sushi rice, this was still fulfilling.  I understand why they didn't as there is no other dishes that require sushi rice on the menu.  On top, we found spicy tuna sashimi, pickled ginger, seaweed salad, nori strips, tobiko, pineapple, cucumber-tomato-kale salad, sesame seed, crispy garlic and truffle aioli.  With all of these components, we had a bit of everything including buttery fish, crunchy bits, brightness, aromatics and sweet tanginess.

One of my favourite dishes was the Papaya Salad with Lemongrass Chicken.  So this was essentially their version of a green papaya salad with kale, carrot, candied almonds, basil-cilantro-mint mix and pickled ginger vinaigrette.  Suffice to say, there was plenty of crunch from the green papaya and carrots as well as the sweet hard crunch from the almonds.  Add in the tangy bite from the vinaigrette and the bright herbaceous hit from the herbs, we had lots going.  To literally top it off, we had a well-charred brined chicken thigh that was succulent and full-flavoured.

Almost a hybrid of the first 2 dishes, the Pork Belly Bowl consisted of a jasmine rice base with beer-braised pork belly, daikon slaw, cucumber, tomato, pineapple, green onion, soy marinated egg, sesame seeds, crispy garlic and house aioli.  The best part of the dish was the buttery soft pork belly that wasn't too fatty.  It was flavourful with enough saltiness to carry the dish.  The other ingredients helped balance everything out with freshness, sweetness and tanginess.  Didn't hurt to have a custardy egg on top too.

Moving on to something brothy, we had the Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Soup.  So this was a version of Pho Ga, but with the same juicy and flavourful lemongrass chicken as the salad.  This in itself made this bowl already.  However, the broth could stand on its own too with savouriness, sweetness and umami.  With the usual addition of onion, cilantro and bean sprouts, we had the usual Pho accompaniment flavours.  There was also some chili flakes to add a bit of extra bite.

So with the reuse of the lemongrass chicken and pork belly in the Banh Mi and the Little Saigon Club, we knew there was the potential of tastiness.  Both were sandwiched within a crunchy baguette with chicken pate, lettuce and cucumber (tomato, daikon slaw & chili lime aioli for the chicken).  Since the proteins were tender and flavourful, the sandwiches were good right away.  Add in the pate, and we had some umaminess and creaminess.  The side of fries were fantastic, being hot and crunchy with soft potato texture inside.

We ordered some drinks to go with our meal including the Lychee Mojito, Just Like Shirley Tempo, Organic Vietnamese Iced Coffee and the Sweet & Spicy Pineapple.  These were all refreshing and since they were mocktails (can be had as real cocktails too), they were lightly sweet.  We couldn't help but order a dessert from the regular menu in the French Toast.  This was a great way to finish our meal.  Each slice of toast was soaked with enough egg and milk to create a custardy bread pudding texture.  They generously spread berry compote in between while providing a hazelnut chocolate sauce for us to pour over the whole thing.  Literally couldn't stop eating this.  In fact, all of the dishes were appealing and totally worth it for $15.00.  B House is such a little gem that is a great alternative to the Chain restaurants.

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

The Good:
- Great value at $15.00
- Big enough portion size too
- Delicious

The Bad:
- Wished they had sushi rice for the yellowfin tuna, but understand that they would have no use of sushi rice in any other dish

Gary's Restaurant

Gary's Restaurant has been on my radar for a little while and it was also on my "to dine at" list.  I did suggest to some friends that this was an option for our dinners, but there were no takers.  However, Jo messaged me out-of-the-blue to meet up for eats and suggested Gary's!  Well, what a nice coincidence!  I mean, it is also great to meet up with Jo as I haven't seen her in quite some time, but it was also even better that we got to hit up a place I wanted to go to!

This cozy little spot on 12th at Granville has great lighting due to the large windows in front.  We looked over the menu and decided to order a la carte rather than the tasting.  As much as the tasting seemed appealing, we wanted to choose our preferred dishes.  It all began with the Rye Rolls with an herb butter.  I found the rolls to be fairly fluffy with some chew to them.   The salt on top really added a flavourful crunch.  Loved the butter as it was whipped until airy.

Onto the actual plates, we had the Kanpachi Crudo with strawberries, sumac vinaigrette and shoyu.  As for the slices of kanpachi, they were fresh-tasting and looked the part too.  There was the usual natural sweetness and the essence of the sea.  I'm usually not keen on fruit and fish, but the strawberries were sweet and didn't clash.  I found the sumac vinaigrette a bit earthy and maybe lacking in enough acidity to really make an impact.  The restrained use of the soy ensured that the fish maintained its starring role.

Next, we had the Raw Beef with king james blue, chicory and house-made potato chips.  First and foremost, the diced beef was buttery and didn't require much chewing.  It was visually-appealing and tasted fresh.  With intermittent pops of nutty saltiness, the stilton also added body and creaminess to the tartare.  There was some crunch from the chicories but overall, the whole mixture was pretty soft.  Seasoning was mild with a good balance of salty, sweet and tang.  Loved the potato chips as they were thin and crispy.

For the larger plates, we had the Ling Cod with Argentinian prawns and cherry tomatoes in a Calabrian chili butter sauce.  As evidenced in the picture, the cod filet was beautifully seared with crispy portions.  Inside, the fish was moist and flaky with some butteriness.  It was also well-seasoned and tasted great on its own.  However, that silky sauce had a spicy nuttiness to it and was well-suited for the fish.  It was not too strong, but also had impact at the same time.  Those prawns were perfectly cooked with a delicate meatiness that was aromatic.

The most filling dish was the Pork Collar with parsley sauce, grilled onion and Swiss chard.  Fatty with its classic rebound meatiness, the pork collar was nicely brined.  It was had an inherently full-flavoured taste to it while not being salty.  The meat was tender, but maintained a bite.  I found the parsley sauce to be creamy and bright.  The veggies were cooked perfectly where they were wilted, but still had lots of texture left.

For dessert, we had the Paris-Brest with lemon verbena cream, strawberry and chantilly.  Texturally, the choux pastry was crispy on the outside and fairly light on the inside.  I found the chantilly to be a bit melty, but it was still light and creamy.  The lemon cream was mildly-flavoured while the strawberry was sweet.  Overall, it was a pleasant meal at Gary's with properly-prepared proteins and focused flavours.  I would be open to a return visit one day!

The Good:
- Properly-prepared proteins
- Nice flavours
- Great service

The Bad:
- Seating is a bit tight for tables of 2

 

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