Urban Thai Cooking Classes

A cooking class? Yah, that's what I thought when I got an invitation from the Thai House Group. Honestly, what does a cooking class and Thai House have to do with each other? Well, it turns out that they run customer participatory meals. You see, the premise behind this concept is that you cook your own meal. No, no, no... Not like a Korean BBQ or hot pot. You actually cook 4 dishes from start-to-finish. Well, technically start-to-finish. Most items are already prepped and ready to go. Also, anything that needs to be fried will be taken to the kitchen. There is also someone who there to help you as well.

So we ended up meeting on a Sunday morning at Urban Thai in Yaletown. The cooking class itself takes place right in the middle of the restaurant on portable gas burners. All the ingredients are at hand and ready to go. The first item we started to prepare was the Spring Rolls. We first cooked the filling by sauteing onions, garlic, green onion, carrots, pork and vermicelli. Once finished, we let it cool a bit, added cabbage and proceeded to make the spring rolls. Turns out my rolling abilities are lacking resulting in non-uniform rolls. I guess I need more practice! They took my disfigured spring rolls into the back for deep-frying. Onto our next dish...

Which was the Pad Thai. While listening to which ingredients that were in the dish, I was a bit disappointed to see that no tamarind would be used. Oh well. So we ended up preparing the Pad Thai from scratch in the fry pan. Although it seems like an easy dish to make, timing is paramount. You see, I could've easily overcooked or undercooked the rice noodles, which would've resulted in an unpleasant texture. The trick, with this type of noodle is not to soak or cook it in any liquid before frying. All the liquid needed would be added while stir-frying. In this case, the liquid would comprise of ketchup, sweet chili sauce, vinegar, fish sauce and residual moisture from the shrimp, bean curd, egg and turnip. Bean sprouts are added at the end so they will retain their crunch. Next dish was Larb or Minced Chicken Salad. The preparation to this dish is quite simple; yet requires constant attention. Using a small sauce pan, a small amount of water is added with the chicken meat. Regular stirring is important so it doesn't stick. Once cooked and cooled, red onion, cilantro, roasted rice, lime juice, white sugar, fish sauce, roasted chili and mint leaves are mixed in.

Last dish to be cooked was the Tom Yum Goong Soup. We brought fresh chicken stock to a boil and added lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves and roasted chili paste. Finally, we added the mushrooms and then the prawns last. The soup is finished off with lime juice, sugar and fish sauce while garnished with coriander leaves. We ended up making the soup last because that would probably degrade the fastest due to the temperature and the prawns. Of course the spring rolls were fried up just before we sat down to eat. Yes, all 4 dishes including the 8 spring rolls with cocktail was for one person. Too much food; but we can't really do 1/4 portions. Honestly, I was a bit skeptical at first to accept this invitation because it goes beyond what my blog is about. However, I had a great time since I do enjoy cooking. It was a real eye-opener as to preparation of each dish. I was happy to see authentic ingredients used, tamarind withstanding. It was also reassuring to see the kitchen staff were indeed Thai and knowledgeable. The regular cooking program runs from 10:30am - 1:30pm on Saturdays with 4 unique classes. Each class costs $90.00 per person (min 4 people and max 6 people). If you book 2 classes, it'll cost $170.00 per person, 4 classes for $280/person. If you book 6 people into one class, it'll cost $480.00. As you can see, the deal gets better with more classes booked.

As for the food itself, I'm not going to pass any judgment because it is not like I went to Urban Thai and ate there. After all, I basically cooked most of it myself (with pre-measured ingredients that is). What I am going to pass judgment on is the experience. For me, it seems like a reasonable price considering there is enough food to feed 4 moderately hungry people. I've attended a cooking class at Dubrulle before and it cost more than this. The Dirty Apron is generally much more expensive (yet deals with a totally different type of food) as well. So, if you are in to trying something different and want to eat as well, then the cooking classes at Urban Thai gets the thumbs up from me.

The Good:
- Reasonably-priced (even better with more classes booked)
- Very user-friendly with step-by-step guidance
- Plenty of food to eat afterwards

The Bad:
- For those who cook regularly, it may not seem hands-on enough
- Not that it can be helped, but some of the food prepared first gets cold

Jules Casual French Bistro

By virtue of being a team in good standing in our hockey league, once again we were presented with money to spend at the Thirsty Penguin located upstairs at the rink. Okay, I have nothing against the place. After all, it serves a purpose. It provides food for people who are already there for hockey, watching hockey, skating, watching skating and the sort. For me, there is much better food found elsewhere for the price. So when Gadget Girl wanted the whole team upstairs to share in the free food, I respectfully declined. Hey, I need to eat something different! I'm a team player, I swear! Ultimately, this is one of those rare times I did not eat with my team on a Friday. So what's the alternative? How about eating with fellow bloggers instead? I quickly suggested the idea to some and the result was Kim, Anita, Darina and Whipping Girl joining me for dinner at Jules Casual French Bistro. Although there is "casual" in the name, Jules is far from unsophisticated. In fact, the ambiance and clientele exuded a homey elegance. With piano music in the background, energetic chatter and mood lighting, Darina and I were already liking the place. However, the luminescently-challenged room played havoc on my picture-taking. I pleaded to use my flash; but everyone agreed not to. In the end, it was a good decision because the seating arrangements are quite close. I'm sure our dining neighbours would not appreciate a side of blinding light with their Steak Frites...

On the topic of Steak Frites, that is one of the options in the Table H'ote menu which includes a starter salad and dessert as well. Darina opted for this and the steak was alright. More cooked than I would've liked, it did have decent flavour from the herb butter. I wasn't a huge fan of the frites. They were mostly stuck together and resembled the ones I could get at the Stanley Park Concession. My point is they were crispy; but nothing else set them apart. For my starter, I had the Lobster & Shrimp Bisque. There was definitely a strong lobster essence; but it was somewhat overwhelmed by a level of spiciness that I have never seen in a bisque. If this was named something else, I would've been fine with it. Furthermore, it was quite thin. For my main, I went with the Seared Pork Chop with Dijon cream, braised Savoy cabbage and honey glazed carrots. Being a double cut pork chop, this probably took a while to cook; thus our food took longer than expected. However, it was beautifully executed with a nice sear on both sides and barely (and I mean barely) cooked centre. Thus, the meat was still quite most. The luxurious Dijon cream provided an smooth accent to the otherwise modestly-seasoned chop. I was on the fence in regards to the cabbage and carrots. On one hand, it was deliciously sweet; yet on the other, it was mushy. Yes, that is braised veggies for you; but it ain't my personal favourite texture.

Kim went for both of the daily specials starting with the Gazpacho. As stated by our server, the ingredients were lightly blended. For me, I found it to be quite bland. Cold tomato soup is what I got. Maybe we were expecting more spice? Then again, I'm biased since cold soups are not my favourite. Both Whipping Girl and Kim had Moules et Frites, albeit with different broths. Whipping Girl had the classic version with white wine, garlic and parsley while Kim went for the special which was a spicy tomato broth. The mussels weren't bad, quite plump and sweet. If I had to choose a broth, the tomato one was better. The white wine version looked cloudy and was a one-note flavour while the tomato broth tasted as it was described. The accompanying frites were somewhat stuck together and it did not change my mind about them.

Anita started with the had the Cocktail de Crevettes et Salade d’Avocat (Prawn & Avocado Salad) to start. I sampled the salad portion of the dish and it was very mild. I guess it in that way, the avocado was allowed to shine. For me, I would've preferred a bit more acid. Anita remarked that the prawns were cooked perfectly. For her main, she had the Duck Confit and I didn't get a chance to sample it. From all accounts, it was good. By the time desserts rolled around, the restaurant had pretty much cleared out. Finally, we could use the flash! See how much better the pictures are? For my dessert, I went for their daily feature which was Mixed Berries with peppercorn ice wine. Although it was very slight, I did get the peppercorn with a muted sweetness from the syrup and it added a "je ne sais quoi" dimension to the dessert. As you can see, the berries were vibrant, fresh and sweet.

Whipping Girl chose the classic Creme Brulee. The torched sugar topping was both hard and a brilliant caramel brown. That was perfect. We weren't so fond of the custard though. It tasted alright, not overly sweet. Not a big deal since the sugar on top provided all the sweetness it needed. What we didn't enjoy was the thin custard. It needed to be slightly thicker. Otherwise, this was okay. Kim ended up with the Pear Clafoutis, which incidentally is named incorrectly. Kim and Darina were discussing that is should really be a Flaugnarde since it was made without cherries. Whatever the case, this version was cakey rather than than custardy. Are those even words??? It was very light tasting and I didn't get much pear. Bottom line is that it wasn't bad nor great. Anita had the Melting Chocolate Cake with ice cream. Uh... When it arrived, it looked more like an overcooked burger patty than anything. However, it tasted much better than it looked. It was moist, not overly sweet other than the caramel sauce. Hey it was a decent dessert. Just think of it as similar to a molten chocolate cake.

As part of her Table H'ote menu, Darina had the Chocolate Terrine. It was very rich texturally and not too sweet. It had a definite dark chocolate bitterness to it and all-in-all a pleasant dessert. In general, the food at Jules Casual French Bistro is decent. Nothing outstanding; but I wasn't expecting as much. Considering that it is located in Downtown, the prices they charge are quite reasonable. Not much is over $20.00 and if it is, there is a good reason for it. In fact, the pricing is roughly the same you'd pay at a number of the popular chain restaurants. Sure, there were some misses with the things we ordered; but nothing is ever perfect, especially with food. Jules would not be my first option for French food in Vancouver, with the likes of Les Faux Bourgeois, Salade de Fruits, Mistral and Pied-a-terre. Furthermore, there is L'abattoir a few blocks down, albeit at a higher price point. Therefore, if you wanted some French fare in Gastown and still have money left over for some late-night partying, Jules does the job.

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Okay portions
- Generally decent food

The Bad:
- Decent food; but there are better options
- Food came out a bit slow

The Reef (Commercial)

Another epic fail. We were supposed to meet for dinner at Luda to find out it was closed on Tuesdays. Ai Yah! What to do? Viv suggested we head over to The Drive since you can basically walk down the street and take your pick from the eclectic mix of restaurants. Sure, why not... We ended up parking at the North end of The Drive near Sunrise Pizza. We ended up walking all the way to Marcello and all the way back finally deciding on The Reef. I've been to the Main Street location before and it was an okay experience. Some hits and some misses; but definitely different. Kim had only went there for brunch, so he was game for dinner this time around. Rich Guy was all for The Reef because he didn't seem all that impressed with Britannia Sushi next door. Yes, he is very adverse to places that don't seem decent. In fact, he rarely ventures into dives or hole-in-the-walls. I guess he avoids the show Triple D's as much as he avoids Whalley. Hey, I keep trying to talk him into it; but he refuses to cross the Patullo Bridge! Oh well, the life of Rich Guy...

As with any meal at The Reef, we were presented with their complimentary Johnny Cakes. These fried balls of goodness are like fritters with cornmeal. Well, they were crispy and warm on the inside. Spread with coconut butter -what's not to like? If that wasn't enough fried goodness, we shared an order of the Fried Plantains as well. Hey, they were sliced thin, crisp and went well with the jerk mayo. No complaints here either! Oh wait, the appies kept on going... We also got one each of the Beef Patty and Veggie Patty also. However, the beef patty arrived first while they had to redo the veggie patty. Apparently they overcooked that one. Maybe it is personal preference; but I found the pastry to be a bit doughy and hard. I much prefer the ones from the Patty Shop and Calypso which are more flaky and buttery. Moreover, the filling was very mild, bordering on bland. I would've prefer some spice. I did like the texture of the meat and potatoes though, it was smooth and not gritty. The veggie patty was spicier and the tofu filling was chewier.

For Viv's main dish, she went for the Calypso Oxtail. With a generous portion of moist oxtail, this was a hearty dish. It was made even heartier since we had 2 of them. No, we didn't order 2. Our server had accidentally entered 2 of them in place of my order. Thus, we got one of the oxtails for free. More oxtails for everyone! Too bad Viv thought it was salty. I could see that; but for me, that just meant flavourful (actually, when Viv ate the leftovers the next day, she didn't think it was that salty anymore). Really solid dish in my books; yet the rice could've been cooked a bit more, it was very firm.

Kim went for a dish I considered ordering; but since he got it, I didn't. No duplicates! The dish in question is the Jamaican national dish in the Ackee and Saltfish. Ackee is a fruit where only the yellow flesh on the inside is used for food.
It must be properly prepared or the existing toxins can cause vomiting and seizures. Good luck Kim! LOL... Anyways, the saltfish part of the dish is exactly that. Usually salted cod, the fish is preserved and then rehydrated before cooking. The result is a dish that blends the smooth mild-tasting ackee with the flavourful salt fish. Not for everyone, much like Chinese ham yew. For me, I thought this was a good version of the dish. Mind you, I've only had this once before, so don't listen to me... But honestly, it was balanced with sweet peppers and none too salty.

Rich Guy decided to try the Jerk Chicken and this time around, the meat was not overcooked as with the Main Street location. Despite being white meat, the chicken remained moist. As you can see, there was a good amount of jerk rub and sauce. However, if you didn't get any of it on your fork, the meat was a bit bland. Alright, after a short wait, I finally got the St. Bart's Lamb Shank. The highlight of this dish was the red coconut curry. Mildly spicy with an aromatic coconut kick, it not only completely flavoured the lamb, it made the mash potatoes better too. No sauce or gravy has ever made my mash potatoes sing like they did here. A really nice balanced curry with the right amount of spicy, sweet, savoury and smoothness. Imagine how much disappointment there was when I poked into the lamb and it was hard. Generally, a lamb shank will be soft and gelatinous. The meat here was dry and slightly chewy. Overcooked. If the lamb shank was cooked properly, this would be the most awesome dish. So sad really. But other than that, the meal as a whole was quite good and distinctive. In a culinary landscape which is overrepresented by Asian cuisine, it is very nice to have a meal that takes us to tropical place.

The Good:
- Something different
- Pretty distinctive flavours
- Reasonable pricing for what you get

The Bad:
- Sure the chicken was moist, but the lamb shank was woefully overcooked (see Main Street location)
- A few mix-ups this time, to their credit, they made it right

KFC and the Double Down

KFC??? No, I haven't run out of restaurants to blog about. Trust me, there are plenty left. I'm pretty sure everyone has tried KFC. Well, almost everyone except for vegetarians, vegans, health enthusiasts and people with good taste. Oh okay, I know that last one is pretty harsh. As much as I'm not a huge fan of KFC, I can eat it sometimes. Like once every 365 days or I'm in a small town somewhere with no other choice. The main reason for his post is that I have mentioned KFC many times when discussing other fried chicken joints such as Church's, Lee's, LA Chicken, Popeye's and Ezell's. So why not have a baseline to refer to? Furthermore, this is a perfect venue to talk about the Double Down which was introduced officially today on October 18th in Canada. Yes, it's been available in States for some time; but finally I got to give my arteries a run for their money (but more on that later). A few months ago, I braved the rain and risked my health for the purposes of research. Also, it happened to be Thursday, where the deal is 10 pieces of chicken and a box of fries for $12.00. I rarely visit KFC so I didn't even know when it actually opens for lunch. Thus, there I was standing in the rain waiting for KFC to open at noon. I don't like waiting for anything, let alone this. While waiting for the store to open (and it was late by the way!), I remembered back to my last visit to this location. I had to think hard since it was over 2 years ago! That particular visit left a bad taste in my mouth, literally! I had ordered gravy to go with the fries and believe it or not, the darn thing was uncooked! Imagine raw flour, bouillon and water. Disgusting. Quality control? Nope.

So after a brief wait, we were let in and I got the aforementioned special. I went for half Spicy Crispy and half Original Recipe. I tacked on a small order of Popcorn Chicken for the kiddies. Maybe because I was first there, the chicken turn out to be more moist than usual. I find KFC chicken to be quite dry. However, the spicy crispy is more juicy due to the thicker batter. I actually like this version more than the original. There is more flavour in the meat itself. With the original, the meat is rather bland and dry. The skin provides most of the flavour. I don't hate KFC chicken; but I personally like Lee's more. It's crispier and more moist. A direct result of being freshly fried; rather than being kept in a warmer. For me, the pieces at KFC seem a bit small, especially the drumsticks.

As for the Fries, they are indeed starchier and drier than most. I must admit I like dipping it into the gravy (when not raw). The kiddies love the Popcorn Chicken. For me, it's okay, if you like eating batter. There amount of chicken is overwhelmed by the coating. They should call it popcorn flour. Meh. KFC is fine if there are no other options available. When paying regular prices, I find that KFC is actually quite expensive. Thus, this experience is like every other time - underwhelming. Best to stick with Lee's or LA Chicken. Fresher, more moist and cheaper. Now with all that being said, I returned today (yes today, as of the posting date) for the official debut of the Double Down in Canada. The people that matter at KFC had the audacity to create a sandwich that replaced the bun with 2 fried chicken breasts. 2 slices of pepperjack cheese and bacon are nestled in between. Healthy? Nope. But surprisingly, there are things that are much worse. Read this and you'll see that the Double Down is better for you (all relative) than many other fast food monstrosities. With that being said, I found the sandwich very salty. The combination of the 11 herbs and spices, cheese, Colonel Sauce (uh... okay) and bacon made me chug all the water that was available. I originally promised Viv I'd only take a bite. I ended up eating the whole darn thing. I gotta admit, as salty as it is, I didn't mind it. Now on the other hand, I'd probably not eat another. It's the been there, done that phenomenon. I must give them kudos for trying something like this. It is so wrong on many levels; but somehow people want to eat it.

The Good:
- Compared to some places (such as Church's), the coating is quite flavourful
- The bucket is cool
- Props to them for creating a sandwich made of fried chicken breasts

The Bad:
- Chicken is normally quite dry
- Expensive

Luda

*Restaurant is now closed*

As we were driving down Hastings, Rich Guy began questioning which restaurants I have been to. Having never really taken stock of that, I began to cross off each one as we passed by. Wow, looks like I've been to quite a few of them! Suddenly, a new restaurant caught my eye. Well, it wasn't really hard to see. A big advertisement on the side of a building will be good enough to get my attention. Formerly Louis Garden, now resides Luda, which specializes in Southern Chinese cuisine. Then and there, I knew this was our next eating destination. After all, we are inundated with Cantonese food. The other Chinese cuisines are poorly represented comparatively (well, other than Shanghainese). Remarkably, I get a text from Kim the next day asking if I wanted to try Luda. Hey, works for me, the more the merrier. So we decided to meet up on a Tuesday night with Rich Guy, myself and Viv. Epic fail... The place is closed on Tuesdays. Undeterred, we ended up going to the Reef instead. From Southern Chinese to Jamaican. Still south of some sorts right? Okay, so here we are trying again on a Friday night. We know this time it's gonna be open!

Rich Guy and I arrived first and attempted to park in the one space left in the lot. Fail. It seems Crystal Mall is not the only place where people like to take up 2 spots. Why do we need lines then? Anyways, I pulled out front to get the last parallel spot. I signal and get ready to reverse. The lady behind me not only pulls up close to me, she tries to pass me on the left as I am backing in, almost sideswiping me. Okay, do people know how to drive in this city??? I took transit earlier in the day and it was so relaxing... Maybe I'll do that more... Ultimately we had more problems with the menu than our parking woes. The specialties were written in Chinese and Viv wasn't here to decode it for us. Yikes! Well, we decided to take some of their recommendations starting with the Curry Crab. But before that, we got the complimentary Daily Soup (which was dried Bak Choy and Pork Bones). A solid lo foh tong (or old flame soup). Modestly seasoned and full of ingredients. Alright, back to the crab... Let's get this out of the way first. I have a personal preference where I like crab prepared as simple as possible. Since the flavour of crab is so delicate, anything other than steaming it with a little bit of garlic, it usually gets lost. With that being said, the curry was quite good if not a bit sweet. A conservative dash of spicy with sweet and savoury made for a flavourful dish. The crab was perfectly fluffy and fresh (well, it was live). The only thing I could fault with the dish was the liberal use of oil; however, it really cannot be avoided since the crab is fried and it then needs to be wok-tossed in more oil.

One dish we actually chose ourselves was the Hainanese Chicken. We added 2 bowls of Chicken Oil Rice to accompanying it (not the same without it!). Rich Guy was dismayed that this version was the free-range type with bones, unlike the Singaporean one. For me, each type has its good and bad points. Much like the one you'd get at Mui Garden, the chicken is a bit chewier and leaner. The one here had the desired gelatin between the skin and meat. Hey, it was well-executed free-range Hainanese chicken. However, I wasn't too fond of the rice though. It was quite dry and bland. Another recommended dish was the Pork Ribs with Ginger and Onion. The ribs were fatty and tender. I didn't get too much ginger and onion flavour even though I could see it clearly on the plate. Rather, I got light sweet soy instead. No matter, the dish was still decent. Lastly, we got our daily intake of veggies in the form of Stir-Fried Garlic Pea Shoots. Yet another well-cooked dish. The pea shoots were tender while still exhibiting a slight crunch. I also liked that there was very little liquid at the bottom of the plate, a clear indication of proper wok heat (wok hay). I could definitely taste the garlic; yet it could've stood for more salt. I found the dish to be rather greasy. I had to constantly wipe my lips after eating it.

Pretty decent eats here at Luda. Other than some minor issues, the food was well-executed. Furthermore, it appears that the raw materials are of high quality as well. The crab was meaty (not an emaciated one), the chicken was good, ribs were meaty and tender and the pea shoots were fresh (not old). Not really much to complain about really other than the price. We found the prices to be on the high end for this class of restaurant. Sure, the food was pretty good and so were the ingredients; however, our bill came out to be $83.00 before tip. Honestly, if I were in the neighbourhood, I would consider coming back. Otherwise, there are quite a few Chinese restaurants in the GVRD with nearly the same food quality at a lower price point.

The Good:
- Quality ingredients
- Properly cooked items
- Friendly service (wonder if it had anything to do with our cameras?)

The Bad:
- Pricey for this class of restaurant
- A bit aggressive in the oil department
- Lack of parking

Pho Tan

Alright, this is a good trend we have here. Shortly after playing my first round of golf this year, Snake and I were able to arrange a second round. Imagine that, 2 rounds in one month. Must be a record of something. It's too bad that this round of golf would be at 1:00pm and right smack dab in our mini-heat wave in August. Of course, no meeting with anyone, regardless of activity is cause for eating. Thus, we met up prior to our round for lunch. At first we were planning on something good for hot weather, such as sushi. But as I was pulling up to Nao Sushi... it's closed on Mondays! Doh, epic fail. And of all things we could choose on a scorching day was Pho. Located on the former Pho Saigon site, Pho Tan was our destination.

Smart thinking Sherlock. Hot soup on a hot day, in a non-A/C room no less. What's with the lack of air-conditioned restaurants? And why do I end up at them on really hot days? Well, at the very least, we had a fan right beside us. Too bad our menus kept flying off the table... And from that menu, we decided to share a Banh Mi. I gotta say, this is one of the most solid Vietnamese subs I've had in a restaurant. Sure, it was no Au Petite Cafe; but it was good. The bun was crunchy while giving way to an airy softness. Lots of flavourful pate and well-pickled veggies. Now for my hot Pho. I got the everything version and there was quite a lot of meat. The rare steak was surprisingly tender (most times it's chewy). I found the soup to be on the lighter side with the usual spices present; yet understated. The noodles were on the softer side; but not too much so. I liked how this was actually a large bowl of food, not only in name only.

Snake, being the smart guy that he is, did not go for Pho. Rather, he asked the server which rice dish would be the best. She suggested the Lemongrass Chicken on Rice. When it arrived, it sure didn't look very big and although the chicken was very tender, it was bland. Not enough lemongrass or fish sauce. Not a good value or good flavour. But based on the excellent Banh Mi and decent Pho, Pho Tan is worth checking out. The restaurant was clean and the service was friendly. Too bad there was not A/C though. But that would be my fault for doing hot soup on a hot day.

The Good:
- Good Banh Mi
- Pho is decent in size
- Clean

The Bad:
- No A/C
- Rice dish we had was a bit small