La Quercia

This dinner has been a long time coming. We originally wanted to take Polka King out for his birthday more than a month ago; but it always seemed like we had to postpone it. More often than not, it was because Polka King was busy Friday nights due to his "gigs". The reason why he is named as such is because he plays in a German Polka band. Nothing really funny here; other than he's Chinese. Imagine the looks on the elder German folk at the Vancouver Alpen Club when he breaks into song... in German. Yes, he is indeed the Polka King. We deliberated over several places to go and finally I made the choice (it's a dictatorship, they have no say!). The venue of choice was La Quercia, a joint venture by former chefs at Parkside and La Buca, Lucais Syme and Adam Pegg on 4th near Alma.

I originally made my reservation on Opentable for 4 guests; but due to last minute add-ons, I had to call the restaurant on 2 separate occasions to change the reservation. They did so in a professional and cordial manner. I was impressed that they were so flexible with my changes. I picked up Milhouse along the way out to La Quercia. Joining us were Emilicious, Lionel Hutz, Special K and of course Polka King. The restaurant is pretty unassuming from the outside. We almost missed the restaurant altogether. However, upon entering the restaurant, we were impressed at the simple; yet elegant decor complete with a beautiful main lighting fixture and a wall of abstract art. We were greeted warmly at the door and led to our table, right at the window - perfect! Some people from our party were a bit late in arriving due to the fact they were driving a fair distance to the restaurant. But we never felt rushed by the staff. In fact, we were presented with a complimentary appetizer of Melon with Prosciutto. The melon was perfectly ripe and sweet. This classic combination with the salty prosciutto was a great start to our meal.

As a table of 6, we had to dine "alla famiglia" style, which is involves the whole table sharing all the courses. For $40.00 pp, there roughly 5 courses and $59.00 gets you around 11 courses. Both include dessert, however the 11 course meal adds risotto "cooked to order". Believe me, although we had no choice in the matter since we were a table of 6, the alla famiglia dinner was the only thing we had in mind anyways. Our first course was Lattuga al Gorgonzola, which was a beautiful mix of butter lettuce, radish, Gorgonzola dressing, crumbled Gorgonzola and duck fat croutons. Being oh-so rich and crunchy, the croutons were the star of the salad. Rarely do you have people fighting over croutons! The dressing itself was surprisingly not overpowering despite the use of Gorgonzola.

The next course was Zucchini Blossoms stuffed with Scallop Mousse. These crispy treats were a contrast in textures from the crunchy exterior to the soft sweet mousse stuffing. Definitely a pleasure to eat. By now I'm not even really keeping track of the courses; rather I'm busily taking pictures and trying to eat in between. As we were just dusting up the zucchini blossoms, the Sformato di Parmiggiano or Parmesan Souffle arrived. Served on the side was a zucchini salad and the plate was finished off with a balsamic reduction. Fluffy with a strong Parmesan flavour, the souffle was a nice, light treat before the heavier courses.

Speaking of the heavier courses, a trio of pastas arrived next. They included Rotini, Agnolotti and Gnocchi. Dressed in a fresh tomato sauce with pancetta and smoked pork cheeks, the al dente rotini exuded both a lightness and heaviness at the same time. The richness of the meats combined with the light tomato sauce acted in perfect balance. Packed with veal and Swiss chard, the agnolotti exhibited an earthiness. The Parmesan added the necessary saltiness to flavour the dish. My favourite of the trio was the gnocchi. Unlike a majority of the gnocchi I have tried, this one was fluffy and almost melted in my mouth. Due to the chantrelles, the dish was earthy, aromatic and downright tasty. Adding both richness and a texture contrast was an abundance of house-made sausage.

At this point Milhouse had thought our meal was over. He was quite satisfied; but to his surprise, we hadn't received our meat course which was a lovely Veal Scallopini. Presented on a long platter, the veal rested on a bed of cauliflower and topped with a demi-glace (?) with capers. A little on the salty side (probably due to the capers), the veal was tender and the cauliflower was perfectly cooked. At this point, we had already reached the end of our reservation; but rather than being rushed, the service continued as usual. We were presented with 3 different cakes for our dessert. It consisted of a Spiced Cake with Coffee Ice Cream (?), Chocolate Mousse and Frangipane. Of the 3, I personally liked the chocolate mousse cake since it was not too sweet and had a rich chocolate taste. According to Emilicious, the cakes were not particularly memorable.

Regardless what everyone thought of dessert, it was a consensus that the meal overall was wonderful. For $40.00 per person, it is not only a fabulous value, it was well-executed. I believe that La Quercia is now a favourite of mine. I can't wait to try the 11 course meal. Lucais Syme and Adam Pegg have successfully merged rustic and modern elegance into a delightful little restaurant.

The Good:
- Beautifully executed food
- Great value, especially the alla famiglia
- Attentive, unpretentious service

The Bad:
- Restaurant is small, so seating is a bit tight

Kim Bo Ting & U-Grill

*Kim Bo Ting is closed but U-Grill is still open*

We were doing some shopping at Metrotown today and needed to grab lunch. For some inexplicable reason, I dragged the family over to Sui Sha Ya. Yes, let the insults fly, I know this is a very, very bad decision. They have some of the worst "Japanese" food in town and their service ain't good either. I guess I was blinded by the fact that lunch would be only a little over $10.00 a person. When I inquired how much it would cost for my son, they also indicated that my daughter would have to pay as well. Uh... she's like 2 months shy of 2 years old. They're charging kids of that age too??? Well that was the last straw. You want me to eat crappy Japanese food, suffer indifferent service AND pay for a kid that can barely eat a small plain udon? Yes, when you go out of business, blame yourselves.

Undaunted, we merely headed up one level to the food fair. So many choices, it was hard to make a decision. Viv ended up with Korean Mixed Beef Udon from Kim Bo Ting (a Korean joint run by Chinese people...). Honestly, it was a good amount of food for the price. You can't even see the noodles in the picture since the massive amount of beef covers it all. We thought for $7.79, it was a pretty good value. Unfortunately, my choice of food came out to much more money. I went to one of my favourites - U-Grill. I'm not sure why it's name as such since "you" do not grill the food. You do, however, choose your own items. This is probably what they meant. The problem with choosing your own ingredients is that more often than not, you will end up picking too much. It's $2.15 per 100 grams. Included in that price is rice and choice of sauce(s).

It appears I picked too many items because my meal came to over $13.00! Not exactly cheap; but it was satisfying and relatively healthy. Mind you, you can have something quite similar with "controlled" costs at Koya Japanese. Despite the fact that I would've spent less at Sui Sha Ya for more food, I was thankful that I did not dine there. That would have been a bad decision which I'm sure some people would give me heck about.

The Good:
- They're both in a food fair, it's fast
- Relatively healthier eating despite the sodium
- It's freshly made

The Bad:
- With U-Grill, it can get pricey

Food @ the PNE 2009

Where can you get something that slices, dices and a ShamWow to go with it? Wait, how about 2 ShamWows if you are one of the first 30 customers? How about spending $50.00 trying to win a $10.00 prize? What about spending too much money for mediocre food? I know, how about waiting in line to see a home that you will never win? Yes, all of this and more can be found at the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) year after year. I've been a regular every year since my dad brought me as a kid. Now, we continue the tradition with our kids. Some people might think the PNE is a waste of time and money; but despite my aforementioned questions, I look forward to it every year. Hey, we bought a $30.00 lint brush. Where else can you be suckered into something like that??? Moreover, the PNE will always have a place in my heart because this is where Viv and I "met". Well, I actually found out she worked at the PNE and decided to get a job there to get to know her.

My plan of attack today was to arrive early and snatch a close parking spot. With parking spot secured, we trekked up to the McD's and had a leisurely breakfast. Did you know they are using a different type of hash brown? It's significantly less greasy; yet it is extremely pale and tastes like cardboard. I see an upcoming revolt. Anyways, we finished up and made it to Playland near opening time. My son was quite enthusiastic about the kiddie rides and I had to go with him on some. Do you know how hard it is to squeeze my 6'1 frame into the helicopter ride? Hey, at least he had a good time. He had such a good time, we almost missed the Superdogs show. On our way to the Coliseum, I stopped by Whales Tails Fry Bread like I always do. Every year, I get what is essentially a fried piece of dough similar to Bannock. I know there are Beaver Tails in Lonsdale Quay and Grouse Mountain; but it always tastes better at the fair. I really do not know why we watch Superdogs every year, it never changes! Hey, we still watch it and we somehow end up on the "Bow Wow" team every time. For some reason or another, I get the craving for a foot long hot dog during the show.

I did just that after the show, a foot long hot dog for $6.00. Really, it's nothing more than a really long hot dog with some grilled onions. But we get it every year (sounds familiar eh?). We picked up a Deluxe Cheeseburger with Fries at Jimmy's Lunch as well. I'm not sure what is the big deal about these burgers anyways. It's a thin burger patty in between some processed cheese, lettuce, tomato, fried onions and bun. I guess it's the onions that make the burger? The fries were not really all that good either. Picked up a slice of Pizza from Guido's for my son and being the picky kid he is, he barely touched it. Wanting something more but a bit different, I went in search for grub. I stumbled upon some Smoked Turkey Drumsticks and Roasted Corn at "Corn and Potatoes". Yup, some of these food joints at the PNE do not have really creative names. I do like Curry in a Hurry though! I first had a smoked turkey leg at Six Flags in California and have been craving it ever since. There is something primal in holding onto a large drumstick and gnawing on it like a barbarian. The roasted corn was ever-so-sweet; but predictably was bit overcooked.

Somewhere in here we need a beverage right? Well, to help quench my thirst from the salty; yet very tasty turkey drumstick, I went in search for lemonade. Despite there being one right around the corner from where I was eating, I walked all the way back to Corn and Potatoes. Right next to them is a lemonade stand which is a bit different than the other ones around the PNE. At this one, they squeeze the lemon right in front of you into the cup. Also, the lemonade is not sweet whatsoever. Refreshing and less calories! Yah, like you can actually watch your calories at the fair! After eating lunch, we settled in for the Bobs & LoLo show for the kiddies. Honestly, what's the deal with this? 2 grown women singing songs, I don't get it. Well, the kiddies liked it at least.

With the show over, we headed over to Those Little Donuts. My former place of employment! Well, a long time ago that is... These donuts are best when eaten fresh from the cute little fryers. Soft, warm and sweet, these are a fair favourite. What goes well with donuts? Soft-serve ice cream of course! Not really; but I got some anyways. Again, it's one of those things I get every year, even though it's only soft-serve. It is really rich soft-serve and it's the same friendly ol' lady who runs it every year. Alright, the eating was going to stop with the ice cream; however, I had second thoughts. I figured that I really should try the Fried Oreos and Fried Jelly Beans at Pennsylvania Dutch Funnel Cakes. You know what, despite how scary they sound and look, the Oreos were pretty good. It's almost like a donut with an Oreo stuffed inside. Soft and warm, it was sweet treat. The jury is still out on the jelly beans. It is essentially a fritter with Jelly Belly. Biting into it, the crispy fritter gives way to the soft fruity Jelly Bellys. Wasn't exactly my cup of tea; but I'm sure someone will like it. Here I am writing this post shortly after I got back home from the PNE. Since the fair is only 2 weeks long, I decided to fast track this post (so ignore the date of this post). I only wish I had some Pepto right now...

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly:
- You can buy usesless items at the Showmart
- You can watch dogs run around at the Superdogs show
- You can eat food that would make McD's look healthy
- You can lineup for the roller coaster for an hour
- You can spend $100.00 at the Midway and end up with an ugly multi-coloured dinosaur
- You can "win a house, win a car"
- You can walk around with a mop at the PNE that you bought earlier in the day
- You can see farm animals urinate and poop right in front of you
- You can see a lot of crying children
- You can see a lot of crying husbands
- You can get a sno-cone and regret getting it
- You can go play bingo

Tomokazu

*Restaurant is closed*

I haven't been frequenting "all-you-can-eat" Japanese for quite awhile. In fact, my last foray was to Fish on Rice in Burnaby and that was a disaster. However, we had a couple of friends visiting from Edmonton and they love Japanese food. We visited them last summer in Edmonton and they wouldn't even let us eat any Japanese food there. They kept saying that we would be bitterly disappointed since we are so used to good Japanese food. To get the best bang for the buck, they had already done AYCE Japanese when they first got here. But, knowing how T-Man loves his AYCE Japanese, we set up a dinner at Tomokazu with some other friends. Hey, let the man get his fill of Japanese before he heads back to Edmonton. I've been to the sister restaurant, Ninkazu in Richmond, and came away pretty impressed for an AYCE joint. Trust me, I've been trying to visit Tomokazu for a while now; but my softball team has been hesitant. Apparently, Bear used to frequent it quite a bit for lunch; but after a suspicious "closure", he hasn't been back. Well, it is Sherman's FOOD ADVENTURES. I might as well be quite adventurous. But at least I brought a whole lot of other people with me just in case!

Tomokazu has a policy which states that children over 3 feet must pay. Personally, I have no problem with that since it makes much more sense than using age as a gauge. If the child is bigger, then logically they should eat more. We had a chuckle when some of the kiddies at our table had to go for a "measurement". Much like the Top Gun Group (Top Gun Sushi, Richmond Sushi and Kingsway Sushi), there is a Regular "Lite" menu ($19.99) and a Deluxe menu ($22.99). Add $1.00 on weekends and holidays. The main difference between the menus is a larger selection of sashimi and sushi in the Deluxe menu. Since most of us are into the raw stuff, we chose the Deluxe menu. I decided to take the reins and do the "order"-taking for the table and mark off the checklist. We marked off quite a bit of food; but as others have remarked, we did not get exactly the amount we ordered. Just like the Government, the kitchen "taxed" us about 40% of our order. No matter really, we just ordered more on the 2nd round of food.

Surprisingly, other than the requisite Miso Soup, Gomae, Green Salad and Sunomono, the first items to arrive was the Sashimi. At other places, such as Fish on Rice, the sashimi arrives last or not at all. Not only did it arrive early, the sashimi was quite fresh and decently presented. The Kaki Pon (raw oysters) arrived at the same time and they were okay; but they weren't really a hot item at our table. Well, T-Man helped us finish them all. I guess he really wants to fill up before he heads back to Edmonton! Now coming fast and furious, both the Nigiri and Roll Sushi arrived. In the picture from top left clockwise, we have Tobiko, "Lobster", "Abalone", Scallop, Tamago, Amaebi, Tuna and then Unagi in the middle. I put lobster and abalone in quotations because the lobster was imitation and the abalone was either canned abalone (thanks Winnie!) or conch. The rolls consisted of California, Futomaki, Dynamite, Softshell Crab and Salmon. Overall, they looked quite appetizing, considering this was an AYCE. Large and not over-ladened with rice, the nigiri and roll sushi were enjoyable to eat.

We originally thought they had forgotten our order of Mirugai (Geoduck) Nigiri, but it arrived on another plate with the "Shark's Fin" sushi. We were impressed with the large, fresh slices of mirugai. Marshmallow practically ate it all by herself and probably another 10 pieces later. Like other AYCE places, the shark's fin is actually bean vermicelli mixed with jellyfish. But, for me personally, I enjoyed eating it. Costanza joked that we should order 50 Prawn Tempura and we did. We actually received less than half of that. The prawn itself was decent in size and cooked perfectly. But the batter was a laid on a tad too thick. Other items that we ordered were the Beef Short Ribs, Beef and Chicken Teriyaki, Chicken Karaage, Agedeshi Tofu, Gyoza, Oyster Motoyaki, Beef Tataki, Mango Pudding and Fruit Gelatin. Most of these items were pretty average. The ribs were "short' on meat and a bit salty while the beef teriyaki resembled more like beef jerky. I did like the karaage, the crispy skin encapsulated tender and well-seasoned chicken meat. However, I didn't like the beef tataki. The slices were a bit thick and it was still a bit frozen when served. It's hard to imagine getting brain freeze from beef; but we did. Surprisingly, the mango pudding was pretty flavourful. It looked like a mix of mango pudding mix and lemon Jello. On the other hand, the gelatin was awfully sweet; but the kids loved it. My daughter had a sugar rush for hours.

At the end of the meal, T-Man fought to pay the bill. Firm with his strength, held him back physically while the rest of the table were yelling at him to stop. The table next to us, who were non-Asian, looked on in confusion. Yes, us Chinese people bring fighting over the bill to another level. Despite Firm wrestling T-Man's credit card away from him, T-Man succeeded in paying with his other credit card. Defeated, we were not happy with him paying the entire $300.00 tab. Thus, after Costanza left, he gave me a call and told us that T-Man's car was parked in the front. Firm was able to attain the keys to T-Man's car and on a washroom break, placed our share of the bill in the cup holder. Upon leaving, T-Woman became suspicious and told T-Man to search the car. That's when we all ran to our cars frantically trying to leave. T-Man was able to find the money and threw it into my car. Viv ran and threw it back into his car; but T-Man grabbed it and threw it back into my car once more. I grabbed it and chucked it into his car and hightailed it back into my car and locked the doors. While I was pulling away, much like Robert Patrick from Terminator 2, T-Man tried to pin it to my windshield wiper, but I pulled away fast almost running him over. While all this was going on, several people on the sidewalk were shocked to see this display of insanity. When we got home, we called Marshmallow immediately and found out that after we had almost turned him into roadkill, he had thrown the money into her car. She told her oldest son to return the favour and the little brat that he is, he gave it to T-Man's daughter, who did not want to relinquish the money! That's one smart girl, she's already got it down pat at such a young age!

Anyways, during the meal, Costanza declared that Tomokazu was one of the better AYCE Japanese he's been to. I would agree with that. Much like Ninkazu, the food is actually acceptable. Personally, I'm not much into AYCE anymore; but it does serve a purpose. Especially with a large group of 16, places like Tomokazu work out well. Add into the fact that the service was both efficient and pleasant within a relatively comfortable environment, Tomokazu is a decent choice when you need to visit an AYCE.

The Good:
- The food was on average pretty decent
- Pretty comfortable dining space
- We actually got the good stuff early on in the meal

The Bad:
- They like to short change you with the quantities
- As with any AYCE, there were some misses

Hot Oven Pizza

*Restaurant is closed*

This is another one of those places which I've driven past countless times and never tried. Today was my chance. We had some people coming over and we had to get some eats. Costanza helped pick up the Memphis Platter from Memphis Blues BBQ; but we needed something that was a bit more kid-friendly. For obvious reasons, pizza was decided as the second take out item. Rather than going to the standard places such as Panago or Domino's, I decided that we should try Hot Oven Pizza on East Hastings in North Burnaby.

As I was finishing my order on the phone, I learned that if you order 2 pizzas of the same size, the second one is 25% off. Well, that was a welcome surprise because the pizzas aren't exactly cheap here. But you'll find out why later... When we went to pick up the pizzas, the first thing that I noticed upon entering the store was the considerable amount of mozzarella cheese blocks on the kitchen counter. Well, it's nice to see that the cheese they use here is freshly grated. There is only one table in the place; but really, it's not a dine-in sorta restaurant anyways. After a brief wait, we were presented with 2 really heavy pizzas. To my utter shock, the 2 boxes were quite substantial. I could feel the weight of the pizzas! Constanza and I took a peek at the pizzas and figured out why - there is a lot of cheese and toppings on the thing!

When we finally got down to eating them, the pizza really impressed Constanza. The crust was soft and more like bread and on top was a really thick layer of mozzarella. Nestled within the cheese was no shortage of quality ingredients. We surmised that the mozzarella was skim milk because the pizza was not oily at all despite the quantity of cheese. The addition of dried Italian herbs on top of the pizza and the crust helped give more aroma and flavour to the pizza as well. What do you know? Random pizza place turns out to be good. Nice.

The Good:
- Holy mozzarella cheese Batman!
- They don't skimp on the toppings
- Easy to eat crust

The Bad:
- Being so full of everything, it is quite filling (can be a good thing too)
- If you want crispy thin crust, this is not it

Top Pot

If snacking on Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland wasn't enough, Viv and I stopped by Top Pot Doughnuts in downtown Seattle for good measure. Hey, if it's good enough for Rachel Ray... Yum-O! Okay, if I haven't already lost you there, please keep reading. If you are wondering what exactly is Top Pot and what sets it apart from any other doughnut shop, it's all in the name. Yup, as the story goes, the founders of Top Pot had originally purchased a decrepit neon sign from an old Chinese restaurant named Top Spot. However, as it lay rusting in their backyard, the sign began to deteriorate. While it was being transported for restoration, the "S" fell off; thus leaving behind "Top Pot". The result was a doughnut shop that made their delicious doughnuts by hand, not by machine such as Krispy Kreme.

My first taste of Top Pot was courtesy of Vandelay. I really like how big they are. Eating a whole Top Pot doughnut is no easy feat, especially the Cinnamon Roll. Furthermore, the doughnuts are not heavy, despite their size. One thing I do not like about Krispy Kremes is that they are incredibly sweet. Well, Top Pots are not exactly bland; but they are not overly sugary. As we were in a rush to hit the Seattle Premium Outlets before heading home, we quickly got a dozen doughnuts to go.

We made it across the border pretty quick due to the Nexus pass; however, we waited quite long at the Massey Tunnel. For the life of me, why would they have a carpool lane for 3 people change into a 2 person carpool lane after Highway 17 is beyond me. If I had known, I would've taken the carpool lane! Anyways, we stopped by Vandelay's house along the way and returned the favour of some yummy Top Pots.

The Good:
- Doughnuts are large
- Texture is soft, even the next day!
- Not crazy sweet

The Bad:
- As with any good doughnut, they are not cheap

Salumi

The reason why we left Portland so early was we needed to arrive in Seattle by 10:45am. Why the precise time? Well, the place we were visiting consistently has lineups around the block unless you are one of the first few to arrive. The place is Salumi which happens to be Mario Batali's father's deli. I often wonder if we blindly flock to these places because they are famous for being well, famous. Salumi has been featured on Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations and the Food Network. Are the sandwiches there really that good or is it merely hype? Well, Viv and I put that theory to the test as we successfully arrived at Salumi by 10:45am. It was so plain on the outside, we actually drove right by it the first time. Again, we were lucky to get a parking space right across the street and took our time strolling across the street into the 2 person lineup. Yes, we were 3rd in line, not bad considering that I hate lineups.

With exceedingly high expectations, we entered the deli with money in one hand and not really all that much appetite since we only finished breakfast less than 3 hours ago. My sandwich of choice was the Prosciutto, Figs and Goat Cheese on Ciabatta. Viv decided on the Muffo. To our dismay, the sandwiches were premade (albeit probably not too long ago). The server merely walked into the cooler and fetched them for us. For a $9.50 sandwich, I'd expect freshly made. The result? Chewy bread and cold ingredients. And as for those ingredients, if you look at the pictures, there wasn't much of it either. I do understand that a few slices of prosciutto go a long way since it is quite salty. However, if you are only going to stuff my sandwich with a few slices, please do not charge me almost $10.00. Don't get me wrong, Viv and I truly enjoyed our sandwiches. The combination of flavours were well-balanced and unique. I thought the saltiness of the prosciutto was perfectly offset by the sweet figs and smooth goat cheese.

The bottom line is that I liked our sandwiches from Salumi despite the price and that they were not freshly made right in front of me. However, in my opinion, Salumi is over-hyped. For nearly $10.00, I did not feel that we got good value. And this is taking into account the quality of the ingredients and the well-designed flavour combinations. But if you want, Salumi is still one of those places you have to visit at least once to see for yourselves.

*Note* - follow up visit can be found here.

The Good:
- Well-balanced and tasty sandwiches
- It's one of those "have to experience" places
- Quality ingredients

The Bad:
- Expensive for what you get
- Pre-made sandwiches for $10?
- You need to lineup