Zest

New Year's Eve. Boy, the last time we partied hard was in 1999. No kidding! Not sure if we partied like it was 1999 though. I think we ended up at this warehouse South of Marine Drive somewhere in Vancouver. It was this makeshift event which was alright I guess. All I remember was I had to walk like 10 blocks in the cold because there was no parking and a lot of confetti when the clock struck midnight. I think shortly after that, we just stopped partying. At least that is what I remember. Well, not much has changed since then because when you got kids, party is defined by how many balloons you ordered from the dollar store. So when Snake asked if Viv and I would be interested in joining him and Snake Charmer for dinner on New Year's Eve, that intrigued us. So much so, we actually convinced my parents to look after the kids. Yes, we got to go out on NYE! Well, not to party of course, just a nice dinner.

Initially, Snake was hoping to try the Omakase at Octopus' Garden after reading my post. Alas, it was not meant to be since they were closed until the New Year. As an alternative, I suggested Zest since they had an Omakase too. Furthermore, Richer Guy was so impressed with the place, he called me out-of-the-blue to tell me about it. We considered doing the Omakase, but in the end Snake and I opted for the Dinner Course menu while Viv had the Tasting Course and Snake Charmer did a la carte. As part of our meal, Snake and I started with the Sashimi Salad. The salad consisted of a bed of mesclun greens topped with sashimi which included 2 pieces each of sockeye salmon, red tuna, albacore tuna and hokkigai. The fantastic soy ginger salad dressing was served on the side. The best part of the salad was the sashimi (which it should be) since it was vibrant, fresh and sweet. A great start to the meal. Snake Charmer actually ordered the full-sized version and really enjoyed hers as well. As an FYI, the tasting-sized salad was not considerably smaller.

As for Viv, she had the Spinach Gomae to start. Notice how there was not a goopy mess-of-a-salad dressing on top? Yes, the typical way of doing it for most "Japanese" restaurants is to merely plop a massive amount of sweet-as-candy sesame dressing over blanched spinach and call it gomae. Surprisingly, Snake Charmer (who is Japanese) said she really doesn't mind that version. Okay, I guess we are being picky then? Anyways, for me personally, I prefer toasted sesame over lightly dressed spinach. The one here at Zest was somewhat of a hybrid. It did have the toasted sesame seeds on top, yet also had a sesame miso dressing that was quite sweet. It was conservatively used though and it had a rich sesame flavour. Combined with perfectly blanched spinach, this was an above-average gomae. For Viv's next course, she was presented with an alternative form of Seafood Sunomono. Rather than a dressing, it was laced with a vinaigrette gelee. Intermingled with the gelee was 2 large pieces each of Dungeness crab leg meat, hokkigai and ebi. The crab meat was a real treat since it was fresh and sweet. Underneath was some wakame which was a textural contrast. We weren't convinced with the gelee though since it was quite strong with a alcoholic (sake?) aftertaste.

Snake and I were presented with the Hassun platter next which consisted of the chef's choice of assorted appetizers. The first of 4 was the Green Beans with black sesame and miso dressing. The green beans were blanched perfectly where they were cooked while still having a crunch and a vibrant colour. The dark black sesame dressing was very rich being sweet and aromatic. I love black sesame and this was perfect with the beans. Our second appie was the Tuna Tataki with a jalapeno dressing. In addition to being aesthetically-pleasing to look at, the tuna was seared ever-so-slightly and evenly. Hence, the texture of the tuna was not compromised. It was sweet, soft and was accentuated by the surprise of spicy jalapenos. On to the 3rd appie, we had the Snapper Carpaccio with was dressed with
mustard soy. By now, it was expected to be fresh with a nice sheen and this did not disappoint. The fish was sweet and acted as a canvas for the flavourful dressing. The dressing was sweet as well while balanced with a slight bite from the mustard. Lastly, we had something they affectionately called Creamy Parts of Crab. Well, one look and what we really had was the "crab guts, brains or whatever you want to call that is in the head". Hey, that didn't phase us since that is probably the best part of a crab! And yes, there was some creamy parts combined with the usual textures which are slightly similar to an overcooked oyster. Flavorwise, it was sweet with a pleasing bitterness. Yum.

Our next course was the Tempura consisting of 2 tiger prawns, yam, green onions and shiitake mushroom. Okay, I'm going to put myself out there and say that this was some of the best tempura I've ever had, especially the tiger prawns. They were perfectly cooked where there was a crunch and snap when I bit into them which released a wealth of flavour. The natural sweetness and prawn taste was very strong and I really didn't even need the dip. Furthermore, the batter was so very light and crisp. Perfect. For Viv's next course, she had the Fluffy Chili Prawn which was described as beer-battered
prawn served with organic fresh green and
delicious home-made creamy chili sauce & aioli dressing. These were indeed fluffy. Thankfully, that was expected since they weren't very crispy by the time the the sauce began to soak in. Otherwise, I would've wondered about a soggy fried item. The sauce was spicy as advertised. Not burn-your-mouth hot, but there was a kick. Once again, the prawns were very high-quality having a nice snap.

For our mains, Snake and I had a choice. He went for the Beef Rib Eye Steak while I had the other one being the Grilled BC Wild Sablefish. As described on the menu, Snake's ribeye was a 34
days dry-aged Pemberton Meadows Natural Beef
rib eye steak grilled with red miso butter sauce. Underneath the meat lay a wonderful mix of shiitake and enoki mushrooms. The beef was super moist and tender with a good char on the outside. The miso sauce was sweet and silky. I liked the beef, but honestly, the Grilled BC Wild Sablefish was my personal favourite. Since it is such a forgiving fish due its high fat content, it really is hard to mess up a good piece of sablefish. However, I've seen it done and it ain't pretty. So I have to give them props for absolutely nailing the preparation here. The fish was beautiful with its seared skin and buttery appearance. As I dug into it with my fork, I knew I would love this dish. It was flaky, melt-in-my mouth and flavouful.
As for Viv, her menu had no choice of main, so she had to have the Honey Garlic Chicken Sautee. Described on the menu as Maple Hills
Farm chicken thigh sautéed with perfectly
matching honey garlic sauce, this was better than I expected. I love chicken, don't get me wrong. It is just that chicken can be boring sometimes due to the lack of inherent flavour. However, they corrected this by added plenty of pop in the cooking and the sauce. The chicken was moist and tender with a good sear. The sauce was luxurious, sweet and impactful. Despite this, I still loved my sablefish the best... But then again, she didn't have that choice! Onto our last course, Snake and I were presented with an assortment of Nigiri consisting of amaebi, hamachi, Spanish mackerel, sockeye salmon and uni. The sushi rice was on the chewier side, yet well done in our eyes. It had a nice bite with a pleasing flavour of its own. As you can clearly see in the picture, the raw seafood was high quality and well-prepared. Naturally sweet and with all the right textures, we were happy. Viv was presented with a 5 piece plate of nigiri as well. Hers included one piece each of tobiko, tuna, snapper, salmon and hamachi.

Snake Charmer ended up ordering 2 specialty rolls starting with the Dragon Roll. This was a pretty standard version consisting of BBQ eel,lettuce and cucumber with avocado and tobiko on top. Finishing the roll, it was drizzled with sweet unagi sauce. We felt the roll was pretty solid and honestly, there is only so much one can say about a pretty common roll. The rice was good while the ingredients were top-notch. However, the sauce was pretty sweet and it was the predominant flavour. Her second roll was the Rainbow Roll which consisted of avocado, cucumber and real crab topped with slices of tuna, salmon, hamachi, ebi and white fish. Again, the same could be said about this roll where everything was fresh with the good sushi rice which in turn meant the roll was pretty good. I could taste the natural flavours of the ingredients more in this one since there was no heavily sweetened sauce like the dragon roll.

Curiously, Viv's less expensive tasting menu included a choice of ice cream for dessert while the more expensive dinner menu did not. I was pretty full, so I passed on dessert while Snake ordered the same Mango Ice Cream that Viv had. Well, not much to comment other than it was good mango ice cream that was smooth and had a mild mango flavour. I really should have ordered their creme brulee or something, but I was pretty stuffed. In the end, we were pleased with our meal and felt that the food warranted the higher prices. Although we didn't have the Omakase, the 2 tasting meals and Snake Charmer's a la carte choices gave us a good indication of what Zest is about.

The Good:
- Quality ingredients and careful preparation
- Cozy and classy room
- Attentive service

The Bad:
- It ain't cheap
- Room is cozy but the table configuration is kinda weird

Sushi Kaku

Let's see here... A random sushi restaurant that looks pretty sketchy located near a Skytrain station. Oh and it is sandwiched in between a Megabite Pizza and a Subway. What are the chances of finding "good" sushi here? Is this a rhetorical question? Let me throw in one more thing. The Skytrain station is Production Way/SFU. Right, a mass of University students who are usually in a rush and not necessarily in search of "gourmet" food. That is why Sushi Kaku has probably survived all these years. I remember getting takeout from this place 5 years ago and it wasn't that great. I truly thought that time would finally catch up with them. Nope, 5 years later and they're still here!

So while I was in a rush, it seemed like a good idea to try the place out again. So I got a couple of things to go starting with the Salmon and Tuna Sashimi. With fairly large slices of fish, yet at the same time, not cut particularly well, this looked okay appearance-wise. It was in fact okay, specifically the salmon. It had a good texture which was neither mushy nor chewy. Tastewise, it was fine as well, with no fishiness and a touch of sweetness. As for the tuna, not so much. It was mushy (not in a good way) and it had a slight tinge of fishiness. In addition to my sashimi order, I also got a combo which included a California Roll. From its appearance, the rice looked rather gummy. Taking a sample, and my suspicions were right. The rice was indeed gummy and bland. Furthermore, there was very little in the way of avocado in the roll. Pretty average maki sushi.

Lastly, I had Teriyaki Chicken with rice flanked by a green salad and orange slices. From just eyeballing the chicken, I could tell it was dry. Yup, it was dry. The worst part though was the sauce. It resembled a Chinese sweet sauce rather than teriyaki. This could've passed for sesame chicken. Okay, I'm gonna stop here. As you can probably guess, the food here is pretty average at best. Yet, let's get real. They are not catering to me nor anything who really wants good Japanese food. Otherwise, they wouldn't be located where they are. Hence, they have their customers and will continue to do so.

The Good:
- Food comes out quick
- Okay pricing
- Conveniently located for transit-users

The Bad:
- Food is pretty meh
- Decor, what decor? (nah, people get takeout anyways)

Kaplan's

I have fond memories of NYC. After all, I was able to visit when the Twin Towers when they were still standing. I really can't believe that it has been a decade since they fell. Unbelievable when it happened and still unfathomable today. On a lighter note, I also could not forget the cuisine either. Well, at least some of it... NY-style pizza, deli sandwiches, Italian food and fine dining, they were all very good. However, my experience with Chinese food wasn't as successful. On the topic of deli sandwiches, we all know that the scene here can be described with one word: pathetic. With the introduction of Dunn's Famous, at the very least, we've taken a step in the right direction. Other than that, we are not left with much. Estrella's out in Langley is currently my favourite, but that is not exactly accessible all the time. On the other hand, there is one from my childhood though, Kaplan's in Oakridge.

Growing up only a few blocks away, I would regularly visit the place (even by myself) as a little kid. I've blogged about Kaplan's before, however, that was takeout and besides, I didn't get to have their Matzo Ball Soup last time. Unlike some versions I've had, the matzo ball here was fluffy and light. Furthermore, the broth was very flavourful bordering on salty. However, I'd take that over bland since the matzo ball ain't a flavour explosion. Since my visit here was in between games during our softball tourney, Milhouse tagged along (yah, I forgot about this post that was in the summer!). He went for the Pastrami Sandwich. Although the sandwich does not compare in size to those found in NYC, it holds its own regardless. In terms of value, it can be argued that there was not enough meat in this sandwich considering the price tag was $12.00. Yet at the same time, it would be difficult to eat something as big as the Woody Allen at Carnegie Deli in NYC (pretty good value at $18.00).

For myself, I had to go for the classic Corned Beef Sandwich (with fatty meat of course). Similarly to all the times I've been here, the corned beef was good. It melted in my mouth and since it was fatty, it was full-flavoured as well. Loved the non-mayo type coleslaw with an acidic slant. Hey, it ain't no NYC deli nor can it really compare to Dunn's in Downtown, but it is alright. Besides, I grew up with it. More sentimental than anything.

The Good:
- We don't have a huge deli tradition in Vancouver, but this has been here for a long time
- Not spectacular, but not bad

The Bad:
- For the price, the portion size does not compare to Dunn's or Estrella's either

Pizzeria Barbarella

Sometimes to find good food, it requires traveling significant distances. I'm not talking about getting on a plane though. Rather, I'm referring to the large geographical area of the Lower Mainland. We are so spread out, it is a real challenge to try everything out there. On the other hand, if the food is special enough, the effort is well worth it. Therefore, I have no problem heading over to Richmond for a meal every now and then despite the possible danger to my car. Imagine how very special the food has to be if one was to travel all the way to Abbotsford. That was the dilemma we faced with Ah-Beetz Pizza. They had great Neapolitan-style pizza (to clarify, they had NYC-style pizza as stated in the comments, but as of now, I feel they are closer to Neapolitan-style pizza) before the fad hit the GVRD. It's really too bad about the location since it could never be enjoyed or hyped up. Terry Deane, the owner and operator of Ah-Beetz, eventually sold the place and made plans to open up shop in Vancouver.

For pizza-lovers, that was long overdue and the time they took to finally open was excruciating. Although, Mijune and I really had no idea when it was actually opening for their first day of business, the night we decided to go happened to be their official first day. We realize that visiting a restaurant within the first month is never a great way to know what it will eventually be like, so it is always good to keep things in perspective. With a wood-burning oven and fresh pizza dough and quality toppings, we were anxious to finally sample Terry's creations. Of course we had to start with the classic Pizza Margheria (tomato, fior di latte, aged mozza, basil, parmigiano reggiano and EVOO. From our initial observations, the crust exhibited a fair amount of leoparding (blistering dark spots) which of course added an aroma in smell and flavour. I liked how they aggressively salted the pizza dough which is not always the case everywhere else. For some it might be too much, but I liked it. The crust wasn't exactly crisp (like the one from Pizzeria Farina) nor was it soggy (like the one from The BiBo). It was somewhere in the middle where it was more chewy than anything. For me, there was nothing wrong with that. The tomato was mild tasting while the large basil leaves on top added a strong punch to the pizza. They weren't shy with the drizzle of EVOO on top which made the pizza slightly greasy, yet tasty at the same time.

Although quite salty, my favourite pizza had to be the Funghi with bechamella, fontina, oven roasted cremini, parmigiano reggiano and white truffle oil. The flavour and Earthiness of the mushrooms and truffle hit me like a tonne of bricks. Combined with the bechamella, salted dough and parmigiano, this pizza did not lack flavour at all. Possibly to some, it might be too much flavour. Despite this, I like this just like the last pizza. From my favourite to the one I really didn't care for was the Bianco Rosa consisting of red onions, rosemary, pistachios, parmigiano reggiano and EVOO. Okay, let me rephrase that. It's not that I hated it, it just didn't compare with the other 3 we had. There were good things though. Loved the sweetness of the red onions and the crunch of the pistachios. However, it was really dry and I didn't feel like I was eating a pizza. It was more like a flatbread with toppings. On the other hand, this pizza showcased how the crust could be without the influence of moisture. It was crisp, chewy and tasty.

Our last pizza was the Amatriciana topped with tomato, fior di latte, aged mozza, house smoked pancetta, red onions, fresh garlic, chili flakes, parmigiano reggiano and EVOO. This was a solid pizza with many different flavours in play. From the saltiness of the pancetta to the bite of the chili flakes, it had it all. So was it worth the wait? Yes, yes it was. Although I still crave the pizzas from Pizzeria Farina the most, Pizzeria Barbarella sets itself apart from the other Neapolitan pizza joints by making many of their ingredients in-house, having reasonable prices, lacking pretentiousness and producing a competitive pizza to boot.

The Good:
- Quality pizzas
- Reasonable pricing
- Compared to Pizzeria Farina, there are plenty of seats

The Bad:
- For some, the pizzas could be salty (not for me though)

Diva at the Met

I've always had Diva at the Met penciled in as one of my "to do" restaurants. Yet, I've always managed to go somewhere else and it has fallen by the wayside. Not anymore. When I heard that Chef Hamid Salimian moved over to Diva from his former digs at The Apron, a visit to the Metropolitan became a priority. Why? Well, if you have ever tried Chef Hamid's cuisine, you will know that he is both creative and bold. And especially for a hotel, that is somewhat of an anomaly. Thankfully, times are changing and the ol' hotel restaurant is much more than a default place for travelers. Increasingly, certain hotel restaurants are blessed with such talents in the kitchen, they have become destinations in their own right. We can see that in Hawksworth (in the Hotel Georgia), EBO (at the Delta Burnaby), Tableau Bar Bistro (in the Loden), Bacchus (in the Wedgewood) and of course Diva (in the Metropolitan).

Joining Viv and I for the 7-course tasting menu was Costanza and Elaine. They have been constant dining companions, in particular, fine dining escapades and it was nice to have them as another opinion at the table. To start things off, we got the usual basket of bread. On the other hand, the Butter with brown butter crumbled on top was hardly the usual. This added another layer of flavour which was both nutty and rich. The first of our 3 amuse was the Cucumber Soda. Basically, this was cucumber "juice" with bits of cucumber injected with CO2. Hence, it was refreshing with the expected soda bite and hits of crunchy cucumber bits. A palate cleanser of sorts to start the meal. Our second amuse was quite whimsical as it was presented on a rock. These marshmallow nuggets were sprinkled with an olive salt which was a nice contrast in terms of flavour (I've actually had a version of this before at The Apron). For some reason or another, I couldn't get "rock family" out of my mind after seeing this. You know, those tacky rocks with smaller pebbles glued on top to look like a family? Yah, whatever... Our last amuse consisted of Parsnip Bacon. What? Yah, that's what I thought too. Just imagine parsnip made into "bacon". I guess that might be a stretch, but believe me, these were money. Kissed with a maple glaze, these crispy treats were a perfect balance between salty and sweet. Costanza wanted a bag of these to enjoy on his sofa during hockey games.

Moving onto the actual tasting menu, we started with the Potage of Celeriac. This was served table side, poured into large bowl containing a raw egg yolk and what we believe were fried potato strings. The soup was very smooth, especially with the addition of the egg yolk. The flavours were balanced with a hit of truffle and we're not sure what added the nice acidity, but it was welcomed. A great start to the meal considering it was a cold day and this hit the spot. Next up was the Sunshine Coast Sturgeon Carpaccio with thinly-sliced daikon, oil poached B.C. side striped prawn, dill ash cured scallop, salmon roe, lipstick radish, pumpernickel powder and champagne jelly. This was a refreshing dish with delicate flavours except for the jelly. We could've done without it since it created a rather sharp ending. Otherwise, there was a good textural contrast between the soft sturgeon, crisp daikon and crunchy radish.

Moving onto a Chef Hamid staple - Puffed Quebec Foie Gras. This would be my third time trying this and it just keeps getting better and better. Normally, foie gras can be rather heavy and if served as an appetizer, it can be unappetizing. Not the way Chef Hamid prepares it though. Light and airy, it was accompanied by Lady Frances fig molasses, green strawberries and brioche. As with most foie offerings, there is usually a sweet and tart counterbalance. In this case, the fig molasses and pickled green strawberries did the job. The only weak part of the dish was the toasted brioche. We thought it was rather dry and heavy. If it was more like the one we had at The Apronn, then it would've been better.

On the tasting menu, the next course would've been the Roasted Chantrelles, but that was substituted with the Veal Pastrami with hen of the woods mushroom, pine nut noodles resting on a ham and Parmesan broth. I'm not sure how the chantrelles would've been like, but I'd eat the veal pastrami any day. The small piece of meat literally melted in our mouths. Heck, someone without their dentures could've eaten this. The veal also tasted very good as well as exhibiting a rich flavour which could not be classified as salty. The mushroom was beautifully cooked while the noodles were al dente. We found the broth to be a touch salty with a slight gelatinous quality and a hint of wine.

Moving along, we had the Thiessen Farm Squab with pomegranate & walnut puree, puffed quinoa, and crispy black kale. First and foremost, the protein was cooked absolutely perfectly. It had a sous-vide quality yet by looking at the skin, it was clearly roasted. It was super tender and moist with no grittiness whatsoever (which can happen with the squab breast meat if not cooked correctly). The pomegranate puree added the needed acidity while the crunchy quinoa provided a textural contrast. On the topic of textural contrast, the crispy kale was very good. Unlike Costanza, I would take a bag of crispy kale to the couch during a hockey game. Our last savoury item was the Leek Ash Crusted Beef Tenderloin served with short rib pave topped with goat mozzarella, salsify, pearl onion, sunchoke puree and horseradish thyme jus. The beef was cooked a perfect medium-rare (closer to the rare, just how I like it) and I could really taste the ash which was not a burnt taste by the way. Rather, it was slightly acidic which was nice. Loved the horseradish flavours in the dish, it went well with the meat. As for the short rib, it was tasty as short rib can be. You can't do wrong with braised short ribs. Not sure what type of cheese was melted on top, but it was sure gamy which led us to believe it was made with goat's milk.

Finally, making it to dessert, Costanza took one for the team and asked to have the dessert from the 5-course tasting menu for variety purposes. Awww... What a great guy... So he had the Hannabrook Farm Roasted Asian Pear with Pemberton parsnip ice cream with smoked whey ice. He really did take one for the team because we universally thought it paled in comparison to the other dessert we had. Since Asian pear is generally a bland fruit with a high water content, much needs to be done to produce flavour. At the very least, they were able to do this by roasting the pear to concentrate the flavours. However, as a whole, the dessert was very light and didn't have any impact. The ice cream was nice though and the honey added a burst of sweetness. The rest of us had the Dark Chocolate Praline Bar with caramelized milk semifreddo and hazelnut crumble. Once again,
the plating was definitely interesting. I could have done without the 4 chocolate mousse drops on the plate as they reminded me of something other than chocolate. That aside, the dessert was fantastic. As advertised, there was a pleasant crunch that was a fine accompaniment to the chocolate ganache. The semifreddo on the side was smooth and had just the right amount of sweetness.

As you can clearly see, the tasting menu at Diva is far from being cookie-cutter. Chef Hamid takes chances and dares to make interesting food. Furthermore, he is both whimsical and creative with his plating. Of course when risks are taken, the final product can either be a winner or a flop. Now, there were no flops per se, yet some dishes were definitely better than others. Sometimes, we thought the plating was a bit busy with too many components. However, we much prefer this over boring hotel food. In the end, we felt that the tasting menu was definitely worth the money and was a great experience.

The Good:
- Interesting and creative food
- Attentive service
- For me, I'll eat anywhere Chef Hamid is

The Bad:
- Sometimes taking risks leads to a bit too much on the plate
- Ambiance is good, but dining room is a bit plain

The Greedy Pig

Having been treated by Miss Y to eats at Bitter the night before, I met up with Whipping Girl, who was treating me for lunch at The Greedy Pig. Ain't I lucky! I get to eat with 2 pretty ladies and they pay too! Is Viv reading this??? The visit to The Greedy Pig has been a long time coming though. Previously, Viv and I had apparently arrived too late for last call on the same night we had to divert to Nuba. Arriving at noon (where it was guaranteed to be way before last call), it appeared we had beaten the lunch crowd and had our choice of table. We spied the only good window seat which had one of the smallest tables we've ever seen. Think of a round serving tray on a pedestal.

Since we were going to order at least 3 sandwiches, a balancing act of sorts was required. At least when the Pulled Pork Sandwich arrived, we had room for that. Considered as our "appetizer", this was a fairly generous portion of pulled pork. We found the meat to be a bit stringy and in need of more BBQ sauce. The sauce itself was tangy and sweet. Although the freshly-made coleslaw was crunchy, it was one-dimensional in flavour. All we could taste was mayonnaise. There needed to be more acidity. I liked the bun though, it had just enough resistance to stand up to the ingredients while not being too chewy (which otherwise would end up destroying the sandwich in one bite). Whipping Girl had only one sandwich in mind after checking out the menu online, which was the Shortrib Hoagie. Good thing too since this was a winner. The braised shortribs were super moist and melt-in-our-mouths tender. Lots of body and rich flavour, especially from the small pockets of fat within the meat. The Stilton-dressed greens were flavourful with a nice tang and a hint of sharpness. Again, the bread was a good balance between being soft while still crisp enough to hold everything together.

Lastly, we tried the Truffled Roast Beef with caramelized onions, mushrooms and white truffle oil. When the plate hit the table, the smell of truffle oil was overwhelming. One bite and it was as good licking the ground. Well, not really, but you get the idea. We like truffle and they weren't shy about using the oil. Maybe a tad too aggressive, yet in the end, at least we got a good dose of it (many places skimp and you don't notice it at all). The shaved roast beef was perfect though. With a hint of pink, it was moist and super easy to chew. Combined with the sweet onions and mushrooms, the sandwich was pretty good, especially with the soft and fluffy bread. It was like a deluxe beef dip without the dip. Lastly, we got the Tomato & Basil Soup with bacon aioli. It was on the tangier side with chunks of tomato and bacon. Not the most balanced tomato soup, but I liked it since there was no absence of flavour and I loved the texture. Overall, it was a pleasant lunch (with the shortrib as the highlight). However, with Meat & Bread around the corner, they have some pretty serious competition to deal with.

The Good:
- If you pick the right sandwich, it's pretty good (not impressed with the pulled pork though)
- Heard about the bad service, however we got good service
- Gastown vibe

The Bad:
- Not exactly expensive, but not cheap either
- With Meat & Bread nearby, not sure if GP would be my first choice