Octopus' Garden

Omakase, a Japanese tasting menu of sorts, is quite the experience. Other than taking into account certain dietary restrictions or allergies, anything goes. The menu is left up to the chef and you merely go along for the ride. Most often, you are looking at $100.00 per person for the good stuff. Now, one of the first places that come to mind in the GVRD is Tojo's. And why not? He has received a lot of fan fare for his cuisine on TV, internet and print media. However, whenever there is hype, there comes a price. Recently, Pomegranate and I went all out for the "no limit" Omakase at Tojo's. That means sitting at the sushi bar with Tojo himself supervising and making many of the courses. Basically, we kept eating until we told him to stop. At that point, we had already spent almost $500.00 between the two of us for food, sake, taxes and tip (around $350 on food alone). Was it worth it? Well, that really depends on the point of view. In terms of value, of course not. But if someone wanted to buy a Ferrari, are they looking for value? That would be the same with Tojo's. It's for the experience and the right to say you've eaten at Tojo's. Now, there are those who would like to point out that a true Omakase experience which will cost you much less can be found at Octopus' Garden. Completely the antithesis of Tojo's, Octopus' Garden is a small place run by sushi chef Sada-san. He is a humble man who is both skilled and creative. He will greet you with a friendly smile and make you laugh with his honest humour. There is no pretentiousness and certainly no arrogance. The food does the talking here, not the hype.

While we were dining at Tojo's, Pomegranate and I had already planned to do the Omakase at Octopus' Garden as a comparison. Due to circumstances beyond our control, it has taken us nearly 4 months to do so. Better late than never I suppose. No longer advertised on the website nor printed on their menu, the Omakase is still very much available. There are two choices: $60.00 and $100.00. Naturally, the more expensive option comes with all the bells and whistles. Of course we went for the bells and whistles! We're men and we like shiny things... Actually, we did start with something relatively shiny in the Oyster on the half shell. Simply presented, the Kumomoto was sweet and fresh.

Up next was a Bluefin Tuna Salad. Another simple dish consisting of mesclun greens with a few pieces of beautiful tuna dressed with a light ponzu shoyu. Mixed together, there was a nice balance of salt and acid to accent the natural sweetness of the fish. And about that tuna... The simplicity of the salad allowed the star of the show to shine with its smooth meaty texture. Delicious. Onto one of Sado-san's signature items - The Uni Shooter. Consisting of mountain yam, rice, quail's egg and uni, this is a very unique offering. Although the egg and uni share a similar consistency, somehow it all works. Very delicate tasting with natural sweetness from the uni, the mountain yam offers up some much needed crunch as a textural contrast. Served on the side was a Bluefin Tuna Skewer with green onion. Honestly, I didn't care much for this. It's almost a shame that such a beautiful fish would be overcooked on a skewer. Lost is the wonderful meaty texture and rich flavour. Instead, what we got was a hard piece of tuna with salt.

A very delicate Matsutake and Geoduck with spinach broth was presented to us next. We drank the aromatic broth first with a touch of lemon and then proceed to eat the ingredients. The flavours were very subtle with some sweetness derived from the geoduck and unique aroma from the matsutake. A refreshing interlude before the wow kicked in. That's right, up until this point, we were happy with the meal; but hardly kicked in the gut with flavour nor blown away by anything. That all suddenly changed with the Monkfish Liver with Tako Sashimi. A combination of monkfish liver atop wakame, daikon and topped with tako sashimi resulted in both a texture and flavour revelation in our mouths. There was crunch from the daikon, chewiness from the tako, smooth "foie gras of the sea" from the monkfish liver and umami from the wakame. Outstanding.

To further kick it up a notch, we were served Wagyu Beef with grated spicy daikon. As you can see, the beef was not completely cooked all the way through. This is significant. Since Wagyu beef is so well-marbled, any instance of rareness will result in some chewiness. Thus, the beef wasn't as tender as one would expect. But, in the end, this did not matter because the high-fat content only resulted in an abundance of flavour. The spicy grated daikon complimented the delicious beef very well. As we were still licking our lips from the tasty Wagyu Beef, an enormous Sashimi Platter arrived at our table. The "wow" factor x 2. Beautifully arranged with super fresh components, we were chomping at the bit to dig in (after I took photos of course). There was a plate of Albacore Tuna, Tuna Tataki, Amberjack, Mirugai, Wild Salmon and Tako. A whackload of fresh Uni and 2 Spot Prawns. The centrepiece was a whole Lobster with the tail served as sashimi topped with Ikura and edible gold (yes, gold). What a treat I tell ya. Everything, and I mean everything was fresh and delicious. I needed very little soy and freshly grated wasabi for the sashimi. So naturally sweet.

Then a strange dish of sorts arrived next - Braised Red Snapper Head with bean curd skin and Shanghai bak choy. Hey, I love head, er... I mean fish heads... But it really didn't seem to fit within the flow of the meal. With that being said, I liked it - from the gelatinous skin, soft cheek, to the soft belly. The sweet soy braising liquid was a nice flavouring agent. And as if we didn't get enough head already, we got the Fried Spot Prawn Heads. For those who haven't tried this, it is a real treat and not scary at all. Fried until super crunchy, the whole head can be eaten. Only seasoned with some salt, it is almost like a shrimp cracker of sorts. For awhile there, I was worried that I wouldn't get a chance to sample any sushi or nigiri. I was really happy to see the next dish which consisted of 2 pieces of Nigiri, one geoduck and one bluefin toro (with a piece of tamago). Once again, simple; yet delicious. The geoduck was sweet and had a nice crunch while the bluefin toro was nice and fatty. The sushi rice was nearly flawless with a nice chew while not being too dry. Vinegar and sweetness was easily apparent as well.

As if we could actually eat any more food, we were surprised to see the Mango Lobster Roll (or Lobster on Vacation according to Sado-san). A balanced combination of lobster, mango, snow pea, tempura bits, tobiko, avocado, nori and ikura, this roll was very good. Different textures and flavours really made this roll interesting to eat. The sweet mango finish left a pleasant aftertaste. By now, we were so full, it was not funny. I really couldn't eat anymore. In fact, I was too full to eat prior to the lobster roll. Hence, when we were offered a choice of desserts - either to have the small or large - we chose small... until we asked what they were. The small was only ice cream, while the large was Fried Banana with ice cream. Pomegranate and I immediately changed our minds and went for the large dessert even though we could not eat another bite. It turned out to be a good choice since the tempura fried banana was yummy. Perfectly fried crunchy tempura gave way to sweet soft banana. Topped with ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate sauce and a strawberry, we scoffed it down like you would think we were still hungry.

OMFG. What an outstanding meal. We got twice the amount of food for nearly half the price we paid at Tojo's. Of course, Tojo's and Octopus' Garden are not really all that alike in many ways; but the bottom line is that the omakase here is both superior and less expensive. The quality and selection of ingredients was fabulous. Think of it: Wagyu beef, monkfish liver, bluefin tuna (and lots of it), geoduck, lobster, uni, spot prawns and the list goes on. I would not hesitate to say that the $100.00 represents a very good value. Take into account that there is no pretentiousness, hype, and unrealistic expectations at Octopus' Garden compared to Tojo's, there is absolutely no contest as to which one has a better Omakase. But in the end, if you have money to burn and people to impress, then Tojo's it is. However, I would gladly do the omakase at Octopus' Garden again because it is awesome and the fact I can actually justify spending the money on it.

The Good:
- Food is just excellent
- Friendly, honest service
- Outstanding omakase

The Bad:
- Prices are on the higher side; but worth it in my opinion
- Super small place is not really all that great for big groups
- Parking is an issue here

Meat & Bread

The sandwich is a simple thing really. Meat & bread. Or for vegetarians, veggies and bread. So for something that we can easily make at home, what is the rationale behind going out to buy one? Convenience is definitely a factor. That's why Subway is so popular. But don't even get me started on Subway... Other than that, I think an establishment that specializes solely on sandwiches better made a damn good one. There has to be something special about it, especially when we have to shell out close to $10.00 for one. Off the top of my head, Finch's definitely hits the mark in that respect. Located not too far from Finch's comes the new kid on the block. Meat & Bread serves up only 4 choices of sandwiches from the Grilled Cheese at $6.00 to the Porcetta at $8.00. Right on the fringe of the Downtown Eastside, Meat & Bread attempts to be something different while at the same time providing something familiar.

Pomegranate and I were somewhat nearby and decided to grab a few sandwiches. We weren't really hungry and in fact, were scheduled to eat dinner in about 2 hours. But whatever, we'll take a few bites and save it for a snack later. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived, they ran out of chicken sandwiches. Hence, Pomegranate went for his backup plan in the Meatball Sandwich. More like a sloppy joe than meatball, it was freakin' delicious. Lots of tender, crumbly well-seasoned meat mixed in with a spicy tomato sauce, gremolata and parm on a fresh ciabatta bun made for a messy; yet delicious sandwich. For me, I was here for only one thing - the Porcetta. Sinfully fatty with cracklings that provide both texture and taste, this is a work of art. Slow-roasted and hand-carved to order with a dollop of salsa verde, I didn't only want to take one bite or even two. It took strength on a Herculanian level to stop eating. Try stopping midway during sex and you'll understand the pain I suffered. Alas, I still had dinner to eat and I could not continue biting into the soft ciabatta and tender fatty pork still glistening in its own juices. So good, so simple, no need for anything else. With prices that some food carts are charging these days, I'd take the sandwiches from Meat & Bread any day (well, except for Re-Up).

The Good:
- Quality ingredients = good sandwich
- Constructed-to-order
- Cool, minimalistic dining space

The Bad:
- Sandwiches are on the smaller side (but fair for the price)
- Not really a bad, but I wish it were open later than 5:00pm

Seb's Market Cafe

*Restaurant is now closed*

I have to admit it. This meal (much like many) happened a while back in the summer. However, for some reason or another, I wrote half of it and did not finish until now. No rhyme or reason really. Much like in the past, I would push schoolwork that was due at the end of the term until the day before. Procrastinator? Absolutely! Okay, with that out of the way... Last year, Viv and her coworkers crammed into Seb's Market Cafe across from Anna's Cakehouse on Broadway for some brunch. She remarked that the food was pretty good and of course I filed it away in my "to eat" list. As circumstances presented itself, it took me a year to finally make it out for brunch. Hey, it's not like we didn't want to pay it a visit, it just seems that always something else comes up. Well, more like something newer and flasher that piques my interest. Fine, I'll put my "get caught-up in the hype" hat down for today. Sometimes, the small little places dish up the best food despite no glitz whatsoever.

Reminiscent of the many eclectic establishments in Portland, Seb's certainly has character and charm. It's quite homey and so is the service. I'm not really sure of the overall theme of the place since the menu seems all-over-the-place. Case in point, I had the Seb's Benny on a savory biscuit with crab meat and Thai coconut sauce. Certainly sounds interesting eh? Usually, this type of fusion is disastrous; yet it was certainly not the case here. Consisting of a perfectly free-hand poached egg, sweet crab meat with a mild and fragrant coconut sauce - this was a tasty Benny. The crab was in no way masked by any of the components including the sauce. In that way, the entire dish worked.

Viv got the French Toast which comes with a choice of banana bread or French bread. She went for the latter. Nothing particularly amiss with this dish. Maybe slightly aggressive with the pan fry on the egg; but it didn't adversely affect anything. The main thing is my son ate it, so all is good. With the 2 dishes we sampled combined with Viv's previous visit, Seb's offers up some pretty solid food with some twists. Definitely homey and personable service to boot. I will be back.

The Good:
- Some interesting options
- Mellow, homey vibe
- Personable service

The Bad:
- Not expensive; but not cheap either
- A bit crowded inside

Findlay Convenience Store & Cafe

Other than pure randomness, it is very hard to find hidden restaurants. What? You see, we know all the usual places to eat. They are in everyone's top-10 list, blogged extensively about and/or heavily promoted. The small little places are usually either ignored or only known by regulars. For someone like me, to find out about these places, there are only a few ways. I could merely spot it while driving, research the internet or read about it from one of the many other food blogs in Vancouver. However, probably the most valuable resource are other people. This is the case here. While slurping on noodles at Hokkaido Ramen Santouka (yes, for the 3rd time, I like the place...), Rich Guy's friend tipped me off about a small convenience store that serves up good Banh Mi. When he explained that it is located right behind the Croation Cultural Centre off of Victoria Drive, I was thoroughly confused. I really don't recall a Vietnamese sandwich shop around there (and I know the area well!). Obsessively curious, I made it a pit stop on the way home.

From the outside, it looks very much like any other family run corner store. Except, there is enough posters plastered on the window to enhance the "shadiness" quotient. Rich Guy was a bit nervous since he is not one to visit hole-in-the-walls or dives. McDonald's is a stretch for him! We eventually made it in and were greeted by a very friendly couple. Surprisingly, this little store has a pretty diverse menu. In addition to Banh Mi, there are burgers, noodle & rice dishes and regular sub sandwiches. Trust me, no one would expect this by just looking at the outside. I got one each of the Special, BBQ Pork and Chicken subs. The Special consisted of Vietnamese ham and roast pork with pickled carrots, lettuce, butter-mayo and a savoury hot sauce reminiscent of Viet Sub. Despite the simple ingredients (no cilantro, onions, hot peppers, fish sauce or pate), the sub was quite good. The bread is crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside (much like Empress Bakery). What makes the sub is the sauce - lots of flavour and a bit spicy. The BBQ Pork sub added a touch of sweetness from the processed meat and the Chicken sub ended up to be similar to the Special. Despite not the resembling Banh Mi you'd find at Ba Le or Tung Hing, these were still good in their own way. Enough so, I'd probably get them again.

The Good:
- Bread is quite good, crunchy outside, soft inside
- The spicy sauce makes the sandwich

The Bad:
- Not expensive; but there is cheaper
- Like most Banh Mi joints, it's take and go (even though there are tables)

PanDa Fresh Bakery

You'd think after a steak lunch at Glowbal, I'd have no more room for eats. Oh c'mon. You don't know me very well then! Truthfully, I was full from lunch; but I really wanted to try out PanDa Fresh Bakery. Since I was only a skip and a hop away from its location on Pacific and Drake, it was all that more enticing. Funny thing is that I missed it on several passes through the intersection. Sure, it's a food cart; but I wasn't aware that it was an old converted school bus parked on the corner. The signage is both modest and unassuming. Mind you, we almost didn't make it there because an A-hole driving a green Explorer almost ran us over at the intersection. He intentionally tried to beat us to the corner and after turning abruptly almost lost control. Note to driver, there is something called karma... Anyways, our mood immediately changed from shock to happiness as we perused the menu. Yup, food equals joy!

Whipping Girl decided on a dessert with the Sesame Ice Cream Croissant. First and foremost, the croissant is served warm and flaky. A real nice contrast to the ice cream, which incidentally was a bit icy. It did taste good though with a black sesame nuttiness. For me, I was considering dessert, until I spotted the Mac 'n Cheese Croissant... Oh yeah. Rich, cheesy and buttery, the mac fit perfectly in the crunchy croissant. Each crispy bite yielded a heart-stopping real cheddar cheesiness with the crunchy; yet not that buttery croissant. So wrong; yet so right. I was full. Didn't matter, I kept eating it. I didn't get to try their other items such as the complete turkey dinner croissant (???). However, from the items we did sample, it was a nice treat.

The Good:
- Crunchy croissants
- Items are fresh (hence the name)

The Bad:
- Not sure about the location, not close for most people
- A bit pricey

Glowbal Grill Steaks & Satay

Slowly, one-by-one, I have been visiting each and every Glowbal Group restaurant. The quest started with Italian Kitchen, then Society, Trattoria, Coast and now the flagship, Glowbal Grill Steaks & Satay. Only Sanafir remains (which I have since visited and also Black + Blue). Despite not being a chain by name, the Glowbal Group does have some similarities with each and every restaurant, namely their signature item - Kobe Meatballs. Another theme throughout is the commitment to style, service and decor. Some would argue that it's smoke and mirrors to hide something... like the food. That would be true for Society; but honestly, the food has been acceptable at the all the others so far.

Joining me today was Rich Guy (2nd time in less than 12 hours), Whipping Girl and Vandelay. Nice to have dining company, especially since I wanted to leech food off of their plates! Since early 2010, Glowbal has somewhat reinvented itself by adding steaks, in addition to their satays, as a specialty to their menu. As such, we started with the Chef's Selection of Satays. We got one each of Braised Short Rib, Panko Crusted Ahi Tuna, Tiger Prawn, King Mushroom, Kobe Meatball (not sure how this is a satay), Blackened Wild Salmon, Coconut Chicken and Prosciutto-Wrapped Aspargus. Served on the side was a Thai slaw, ginger white soy and Chinese hot mustard. Of the aforementioned items, the short rib was my favourite. Of course, you can't lose with braised short rib. It was tender and full of flavour (of the rich savoury variety). The tiger prawn was cooked nicely with a nice snap to it while the mushroom still retained a certain firmness. Cooked perfectly rare with a crisp panko coating, the tuna went well with the tobiko aoili. Nice textural contrast there and not too much condiment to hide the natural flavour of the tuna. The blackened salmon was overcooked and a bit bland while the asparagus was perfect accompanied by the saltiness of the prosciutto. And as for the Kobe meatball, it was more firm than what I've had in the past; but still moist. We universally didn't care for the coconut chicken - Overcooked and flavourless.

Whipping Girl likes meatballs and had a whole plate of them in the Spaghetti Kobe Meatballs. She thought that the meatballs were slightly underseasoned compared to other times she's had them. Otherwise, the pasta was al dente and the sauce was well-balanced. I thought it could've used a bit more salt though. Rich Guy selected the daily feature which was the Seared Arctic Char with a buerre blanc sauce. The fish was prepared perfectly. Flaky and moist inside and nicely seared on the outside. Not too much in the way of sauce; but that's a good thing. Let the seafood stand out and it did here. Rich Guy kept remarking how surprisingly good the fish was cooked.

Vandelay opted for the Parpadella with short rib, woodland mushrooms, toasted pine nuts and cafe âu lait. I gave this one a try and you know what? It was pretty good. Of course, once again you can't go wrong with short rib and combined with the the earthiness and nuttiness from the other ingredients, it had a pleasing taste. I would've liked the pasta to be even more al dente (Vandelay thought it was fine); but otherwise a well-executed dish. For myself, I went for their lunch special in the Grilled Striploin with mushroom ragout. For $16.00, this was a decent cut of beef. Well-marbled, tender and cooked the way I wanted it (medium-rare), I was pleased with my selection. The mashed potatoes were creamy, while the bevy of mushrooms was welcomed. Only thing I would change would be the sauce. It was both too oily and salty. Sure, it flavoured the meat; but maybe a tad too much so. Interesting... We all came here not expecting much. After all, the Glowbal Group routinely gets trashed for its so-so food. But honestly, for the prices we paid (including the Costco gift card discount) made for some reasonably-priced eats. And good eats at that. Sure, it won't put fear into other fine-dining establishments nearby. However, we all agreed that Glowbal trumps both Earl's (which is next door) and Milestone's since the food is both better and less expensive (assuming you use the discount).

The Good:
- Surprising (or should we?) good eats
- Well-priced (if discounts are taken into account)
- Excellent service

The Bad:
- Without discount, regular prices are typical Yaletown expensive
- Some items sound better on the menu than they really are

SD Galleria & Sushi Lounge

It appears that I have finally weaseled my way back into Thursday night hockey as a regular. You see, I abruptly stopped playing with this group after my son was born over 5 years ago. Hey, life was busy and some things had to give. As of last year, I've been playing off and on with this group and since the start of this season, I've been a regular attendee. It's nice to reconnect with people again, even after 5 years later. However, one problem with this group is they don't eat out after hockey. Something about getting home and sleeping... Phffft... Whatever! Tonight, or should I say this morning, I was able to talk Rich Guy into joining me for late night eats once again. This time around, it was going to be late night sushi. No, not the AYCE variety; rather, it would be SD Galleria and Sushi Lounge. Located upstairs on Main Street near 27th, it is one of the few Japanese restaurants that are open past midnight. In addition to Rich Guy, I was able to convince Gordo in joining me as well after the game. You see, I promised to give him a lift to the game. In return, he'd have to join me for food after. I'm sinister, I know...

Now, walking into the place, one would never expect it to be a Japanese restaurant. It's more sports bar than anything else. One look at the menu and we were surprised at the low prices. 2 pieces of Nigiri for $1.75? Maki Sushi starting at $2.00? WTH? This is not a take-out joint nor is it located in a shady area. Alright, price is one thing, how about the actual food itself? Well, let's start with that cheap Nigiri. We got 4 pieces of Chopped Scallop and 2 pieces of the Unagi. Size-wise, they were modest. But given that they only cost less than 88 cents each, we weren't complaining. Okay, the rice was pretty average. The best description for it would be too "ricey". What I mean about that is it resembled rice too much rather than the slightly chewy sushi rice variant. With that being said, it wasn't terrible. As for scallops, they were fine, sweet and not mushy. The unagi was also pretty good. I liked that it wasn't oversauced.

Seeing how the salads were only $2.00 each including the Wakame salad, we all ordered a different one. Luck would have it that they ran out of Wakame... So I went for the Gomae instead. The spinach was cooked pretty well with a nice nice crunch and a bit of chew. The sesame dressing was on the sweeter side of things (and not really the type of Gomae that I personally prefer). The sweetness was tempered by a proper dressing to spinach ratio. Gordo's Ebi Sunomono was pretty decent, especially with a full sized ebi on top. Rich Guy's Green Salad was crisp while laced with the typical sweet gingery soy dressing.

We weren't expecting much out of the Assorted Sashimi and in fact, Rich Guy was quite nervous. He's not used to paying so little for food... Well, to our surprise, not only did the sashimi look fresh, it was quite good as well. The textures were all good including the tuna. Nothing mushy or too chewy at all (including the tako). We decided to try 2 of their deluxe rolls starting with Rainbow Roll. Essentially a California roll with alternating slices of various fish on top, this was pretty good for $6.50. Sure, it wasn't an artistic masterpiece nor was it outstanding. Yet, it was more than acceptable for the price. The same could be said about the Dragon Roll. Usually falling somewhere in the $10.00+ range, this was only $6.00 here. Sure, it is not as extravagant or large as some other places; but it was also good with ripe avocado, crunchy cucumber, unagi and tobiko. Once again, only thing that could've been better would be the rice. If you look at the picture closely, you can see it sliding towards the mushy side of the rice continuum.

Finally, we ended off with an order each of the Assorted Tempura and Prawn Tempura. When it arrived, we were slightly concerned at the ample amount of batter; yet it didn't really have an adverse effect since every piece remained crispy. I'm not sure how it would do if it cooled down a bit. The prawn had a nice crunchy texture and was quite sweet. As for the veggies, they were good as well. Nothing soggy nor overcooked. Well, well, well... We didn't expect decent eats at this place, for this price and at 12:30am in the morning on a Thursday. Of course it's all relative. There are better Japanese restaurants naturally. However, the food quality for the prices they charge makes it worth a look. Considering the fact that there are barely any other Japanese restaurants open this late on a weekday makes it even better.

The Good:
- Cheap
- Decent eats
- Open late

The Bad:
- Of course there is better Japanese food elsewhere; but not at this price and this late
- Service is friendly but extremely sparse