Elem

Yes, here we are with another visit to Elem.  It was a long time coming because it was supposed to be in May.  It was for my mother's birthday, but she got sick and we had to postpone it to June.  This would be the first time that she and my kids got to try Elem.  Moreover, I haven't been to Elem since they made Canada's 100 Best Restaurants list.  Congrats to them and I know they are working hard to be better every day.  I think this is my 6th visit?

Like every other meal we've had here, it all starts with their Rye Bread with butter.  This time, it was black garlic butter and there was definitely the sweet umaminess combined with the usual creaminess.  Love the bread here, so soft and fluffy but having a chew to them as well.  Next, we had the Glorious Organics Salad with magnolia vinaigrette, radish and toasted nuts.  I'm not much of a salad person, but this was a good way to get some fresh and crisp greens into the meal while having some really apparent texture with the crunchy nuts.

One of the daily features was the Morels stuffed with spot prawn mousse in a lemon garlic mouseline sauce with morel broth.  As you can imagine, the morels were at the forefront of this dish and there was intense umaminess.  Texturally, each morel had the classic sponginess giving way to a delicate, sweet and bouncy filling.  The sauce was also spiked with morel woodsiness and had plenty of aromatics and creaminess.

Okay, what can I say about the Dungeness Crab Toast that I haven't already stated?  I've had this every meal at Elem and it never disappoints.  Of course, this time was no different.  The ample amount of fluffy and sweet crab sat atop milk bread surrounded by lemongrass ginger foam.  There was a good contrast of texture between the crab and the crispy toast.  Moreover, the light airiness of the sauce matched well with the crab. Naturally, the SE Asian flavours of the sauce make the dish with the aromatic brightness of lemongrass.

We also had the Carrots and the Grilled Lamb Skewers where I was elated to to have the latter.  You see, most people I dine with do not like lamb.  However, the lamb skewers here at Elem are fantastic.  With a good mix of meat and fat, the skewers were succulent and tender.  They were nicely paired with the thick and tangy labneh and sweet date glaze.  Nice crunch from the buckwheat on top.  As for the carrots, they were sweet and earthy while atop whipped miso tofu.  This was good, but I probably would not order them again.

This time with the fam, I didn't go too extreme with the cocktails and only had two of them.  Both were on the "Fifth Dimension" supplemental menu.  The first was the Black Sesame Whiskey Sour with peanut butter washed Shelter Point whiskey, black sesame paste and egg whites.  Definitely aromatic and nutty with the hit of lemon to keep things bright.  The other was the Wild Rose Daiquiri with earl grey rum, wild rose cordial, lime and curry leaf oil.  This was the stronger of the two, yet at the same time, went down easy.  This was partly due to the sweetness offered up by the cordial.  At the same time, there was some tang form the lime and earthiness of the curry leaf oil.  If I had to choose between the two, I would take the latter.

It seems like every culture has a version of fried chicken, so why not have Indian Fried Chicken?  This version featured large thigh pieces that were coated in a crispy, but light batter.  Inside, the meat was juicy and super tender.  Underneath, we found a butter chicken sauce which was well-balanced with a touch of spice.  I found it creamy, but not heavy while having a muted tanginess.  Topping it off, we found a few blistered shishitos.

I'm glad they kept the Roasted Brussels Sprouts on the menu because as simple as it may seem, the dish is delicious.  Firm, but cooked through, the sprouts were tender and nicely roasted.  The pops of sweetness was provided by the sultana raisins while there was some balancing acidity from the pear agrodulce.  As per usual, we also added the Barbecue Chicken Fried Rice topped with a sunny side egg.  Beyond the chewy texture of the rice and the nutty caramelization, there was tang and spice from the house kimchi.  Yet, the proverbial cherry on top was the chili crunch on the side.  This made the rice with nuttiness, crunch, smokiness and a bit of spice. 

For our pasta dish, we had the stunning Short Rib Scarpinocc beautifully plated with fresh spring peas and pickled rhubarb.  This sat in a lightly creamy beurre blanc sauce that was not heavy with perfect balance of sweetness with a touch of acidity.  The sweet peas added bursts of flavour while the rhubard provided extra tanginess and a bit of crunch.  The pasta itself was appealingly firm with tender and intensely savoury short rib.

Moving onto our meat course, we had the Dry-Aged Duck.  This consisted of a succulent duck breast which was cooked perfectly as well as duck leg with fall-apart meat.  Both featured rendered skin which were glazed with sweet prunes.  Underneath, we found a duck jus that was full of umami and sweetness.  Also on the plate, we found a braised shallot that was finished off some broiling.  It provided even more sweetness to the dish.

We ended up with some desserts including the Nemesis Cake and Popcorn.  I've had both of these before and that cake was fantastic.  This time around, it was just like I remembered.  It was rich and creamy with the slight bitterness of dark chocolate at the forefront with mild sweetness.  The vanilla miso ice cream on the side added some saltiness while the tarragon wafer provided crunch and subtle licorice vibes.  A nicely balanced and composed dessert.  As for the popcorn, it is a whimsical dessert, where it really did taste like aromatic sweet popcorn.  Totally intentional because it is supposed to emulate the flavours of Chicago mix.  So therefore, that is why we found cheddar on top while sitting on a corn mousse & foam with caramel sauce.  Very light and airy dessert that wasn't too heavy.

Our third dessert was a new one back when we had it in June.  The Piña Colada  Baba au Rum Cake was quite balanced.  I've had rum cake before that it was so strong, I could barely eat it.  This had a hint of it where the soaked cake was moist and semi-sweet.  We found some chewy pineapple bits that added concentrated sweetness and texture.  Tangy black lime crema offered up some tangy bitterness.  Lastly, there was some pandan coconut ice cream which was floral and purposefully sweet.  Along with the bill, we had one more small bite in the White Chocolate with lemon zest.  These were creamy and of course sweet, yet not as much as I would've expected from white chocolate.  So there we are, another delicious meal at Elem with a few new dishes that go off in different directions.  That is the concept with Elem as there are influences from around the world (both food and beverages) in a metropolitan space with Michelin-worthy service.

The Good:

- Thoughtfully-conceptualized dishes

- Good ambiance as per usual

- Great service as per usual

The Bad:

- The bill can get up there, but nothing is inexpensive these days

Guu Toramasa

Back in June, we attended the OMD concert at the Orpheum.  It was actually supposed to be in 2024, but Andy McCluskey needed a knee replacement.  Okay, that was a legit reason and we hung onto our tickets for almost a year to see them perform.  Before that, we needed to get some eats and once again, we didn't have a plan.  We wandered around Robson and noted down some options, but eventually settled on the Osaka-themed location of Guu, specifically Guu Toramasa.  For those who are unfamiliar, the Guu chain of restaurants are Izakayas, where people grab some drinks along with little plates to share.

We got a bunch of classic dishes as well as some we've never had before.  Of course we've had the Salmon Yukke on many occasions and this version was rather familiar.  The cubed Atlantic salmon was tossed in a sweet teriyaki sauce with garlic and sesame seeds.  There wasn't a touch of spice as per usual but this way, the natural sweetness of the salmon was still apparent.  I personally love shrimp chips and this was a light and crispy vessel for the salmon.

I think we might've had the Jellyfish & Mustard Green Stems on Tofu before, but not in such a big portion.  In some sense, the amount of tofu was a bit overwhelming considering that the topping wasn't able to flavour it all.  Hence, we were eating big chunks of plain tofu.  Now about that topping, the combination of tangy and crunchy mustard green stem along with the delicate crunch of the jellyfish was delicious.  There was a bit of spice as well.

The tofu dish was one of three for only $18.00 with the other two being the Grilled Capelin and the Seaweed Salt French Fries.  I thought the capelin was pretty good with a well-seared exterior and still moist interior.  As for the fries, they were surprisingly good.  They were the starch-covered variety, but deep fried to perfection.  The outside was crispy and light while the inside was creamy potatoey.  Nice flavour on them too.

Probably my favourite dish was one of the simplest.  This was the Sake Steamed Clams with yuzu in a dashi broth.  As you can clearly see, those were actual yuzu rinds.  Hence, we weren't just looking at some yuzu extract.  So we got the tangy and floral nature of yuzu, but also with the rind present, there was a bit of bitterness.  Sitting in a subtle broth, the sweetness and brininess of the clams came through.  They were buttery and plump.

Another good dish was the BBQ Eel Omelette which was quite large.  It featured folded soft cooked eggs which were fluffy and a bit runny.  That was the perfect texture in our opinion.  Inside, there was a decent amount of buttery unagi that was sweet and a bit smokey.  On the outside, it was topped with bonito flakes, nori strip, green onion and a drizzle of unagi sauce.  So there was no shortage of umami as well.

You might be wondering at this point, why there wasn't any takoyaki nor okonomiyaki...  Well, yes, those are Osaka favourites, but we just wanted to eat other dishes like the Kaki Fry.  These breaded oysters were fried properly where the coating was crispy while the oyster itself was still a little rare in the middle.  Hence, they were soft with creamy centre and plenty of briny sweetness.  They were drizzled with tonkatsu sauce and served with tartar.

Completely covered in scallions, the Tontoro was actually a pretty large portion.  However, I felt this dish was lacking.  The pork jowl was not that fatty and also a bit dry.  Not the desired texture for this cut of meat.  It was grilled decently though and it did also taste quite good with enough seasoning and it was also sitting in a bright yuzu ponzu sauce.  I just wished the tontoro was bouncy and fatty like it should be.

Another classic Izakaya dish we had to get (or specifically "I" had to get) was the Ebimayo.  These decently-sized prawns were coated with a light batter than was crispy and didn't feel like it was there.  Inside, the prawn was meaty and had all of the good taste of prawns (sweet and a bit briny).  It was drizzled with a balanced amount of chili mayo so I could taste the creaminess (with some spice) without being doused in sauce.

Now look at the picture above.  Does that look like Otoro to you?  Well, it certainly didn't eat like it either.  Not sure what they served up, but it was the worst otoro we've ever had or it wasn't otoro.  Whatever it was, I checked the receipt and we were charged for otoro.  Since we were in a rush to finish, I didn't bother complaining about it.  However, this is completely unacceptable given I spent $23.00 on 3 pieces.  Granted, this was "Marinated Otoro" and obviously seared on the outside, but it was not fatty nor buttery.

We decided to add some veggies into the meal but regretted doing so.  The Baked Broccoli was super lifeless and not very delicious.  The positive was that they were cooked perfectly being crunchy and completely vibrant.  Despite being topped with teriyaki sauce and mayo, there was just no impact nor taste.  It was like plain boiled broccoli.  I would skip these if I were you.  So overall, we had some good dishes but also some bad dishes.  With all of the other options for Izakaya (including better Guu locations), I'm not sure if Guu Toramasa should be at the top of any list.

The Good:

- Excellent service

- Pricing is ok for Downtown

- Unlike most Izakayas, this spot is roomy

The Bad:

- Food was fine, but some dishes were plain bad

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

Jing Tan Grill House

I've had my eye on Jing Tan Grill House for quite some time.  Looking over their 3-tiered AYCE (All-You-Can-Eat) menu, it seemed like the Deluxe for $39.85 looked like the sweet spot.  You basically have everything you would want except for Wagyu Beef, Lobster, Lamb, Scallops and Oysters.  However, upon sitting down and eyeing the menu, I decided I needed to do the Supreme (with the aforementioned items) for $68.85.  They use charcoal grills here without the benefit of temperature control.  However, nothing cooks like charcoal as it really chars meats better than gas.  Ventilation is quite good, so it wasn't smoky at all in the restaurant.

In addition to the AYCE menu, there is a self-service bar that features Potato Salad, Wakame Salad, Tofu Skin Salad, Woodear Salad, Edamame, Fruit, Spring Rolls, Fried Dumplings, Shrimp Chips, Fries and Dungeness Crab.  I actually enjoyed all the salads.  Good flavour and texture.  I didn't try the potato salad though.  I was a little surprised to find crab there, but it was "okay".  Not live crab for sure, but it wasn't mushy though.  Was overcooked a touch.  Would've liked to see the fried food kept warm somehow.

So the Supreme menu has certain items that may make you rethink whether you want to spend more money (like me...).  The A5 Miyazaki Wagyu was absolutely buttery and delicious.  They did limit this to only 1 order per person.  We also found SRF Wagyu which was obviously less buttery, but still tender.  Yep, they also had whole Ribeye Steak that was limited to 1 per person.  This was only average as the meat was tender, but not marbled enough (despite having lots of fat around the edges.

We actually got another order of the SRF Wagyu (max 3 per person) along with the Premium Boneless Shortribs (also max 3 orders per person).  I thought these short ribs were quite fatty and if you like the fat, this is for you.  I tried eating multiple pieces with all the fat, but it was just too heavy.  We actually preferred the regular short ribs in the Deluxe menu.  On the bottom, there was some Wagyu Beef Tongue.  The trick to these was to cook them for a long time to help activate the fats (as in rendering it), so the meat would be tender enough to eat, rather than being chewy.

We had some other meats from all parts of the menu including Marinated Pork Shoulder, Pork Neck, Lamb Rack and Beef Short Ribs.  Really enjoyed the tender and flavourful pork, especially the sweet pineapple.  The pork neck was at its bouncy best with great marbling.  The lamb rack chops were pretty good, as long as you don't overcooked it.  Now for the aforementioned short ribs.  They were tender with the classic short rib chew.  Nice sweet and savoury marinade on them.

Disregard the Wagyu beef tongue in this picture as it was a repeat, but below, we had some Chicken Knees and New Orleans Chicken Wings.  I thought the chicken knees could've benefited from some better trimming as there was more than cartilage in each bite.  We had unchewable pieces of bone.  The wings were split and cooked quickly as a result.  The meat was juicy and tender from the savoury marinade.  The Unagi was fantastic, but was hard to cook on the grill as it stuck to it.  It was buttery and well-sauced.  The Abalone was the typical small ones you'd find at the supermarket.  With that being said, they were nice texturally having that dense squishy chewiness.  Added some Shrimp for good measure.  They were your typical frozen white shrimp.

As part of the Supreme menu, we could order the Lobster Tails (limit one per person).  These were par-cooked and needed to be finished on the grill.  We found them already fully done from the kitchen, so warming them up on the grill overcooked them.  Still nice to have some lobster!  The Oysters were also par-cooked, so it didn't take too long to finish them off on the grill.  They were buttery and briny with some sweetness.  A bit of sweetened soy on top added some saltiness and the garlic did its aromatic thing.

We got some shellfish in the form of White Wine Mussels, Clam Vermicelli and Scallops with Garlic. All of them were par-cooked as well and needed to be finished on the grill.  The problem with these is that they take up a lot of real estate on the grill and take some time to warm up.  Since there is a 2-hour limit, you might want to order these only once.  They were good though with fresh shellfish that were all the right textures.  Good flavour for all of them as they were topped with garlic and sauce.

As you can see, the amount of space on the grill is typical, so you need to cooked strategically.  Also, since it is charcoal, there was some hotspots and some coldspots.  Needed to move things around to get some char or to prevent burning.  When done right, the stuff is delicious.  We ended off with some complimentary Ice Cream which was more icy than creamy.  But whatever, it was included and helped cool our mouths from the barrage of hot food off the grill.  Overall, we quite enjoyed the experience at Jing Tan as the charcoal grill produced some great searing.  Also, the food quality was above average while the service was fantastic.  Would come back.

The Good:
- Above-average food quality
- Surprisingly good service
- Real charcoal grill

The Bad:
- Grill size is average, but some of the items take up a lot of room and slows the cooking down
- Limited parking spots