Bistro Pastis

Darina loves French food.  Well duh...  Her blog is Gratinee after all.  So when I bumped into her at the Sen Bistro media tasting event, we decided that it was time to do a French food adventure.  Seeing how Whipping Girl loves French food like Miley Cyrus loves a buzz cut, we invited her as well. We originally targeted La Cigale as our destination, but ended up changing it to Boneta.  But that was not good enough for Whipping Girl as her favourite dish - Moules et Frites - was not on the menu.  She threw a temper-tantrum that would make Sue Sylvester look tame, threatening to cancel on us.  Fine.  We eventually settled on Bistro Pastis because not only did it have Moules et Frites on the menu, it was convenient for Choobee to join us as well.

While we were looking for a parking spot, Whipping Girl texted us indicating that she felt rather young amongst the clientele.  Hey, I don't blame her, as our table probably brought the average age down 25 years.  Yes, Bistro Pastis is a traditional French restaurant.  We had no problem with that as we heard their food is quite good.  I ended up starting my meal with Le Tartare et Frites (Steak Tartare & Fries $16.00). Topped with cornichons, the steak tartar was tender with a nice crunch from the pickles.  I found the flavours to be balanced possibly wanting a touch more spice. Although it did not ruin my eating experience, there was one piece of gristle I had to pick out of the tartare.  On the other hand, the frites were really good being crispy and light.  Choobee opted for Les Calamares Farcis (Calamari $12.50) stuffed with crab and chorizo accompanied by ratatouille and parsley puree.  The whole squid was soft while the tentacles were fried.  The filling was quite mild despite the use of chorizo.  This was a good thing as it didn't overwhelm the crab.  I also liked the ratatouille as there were clear flavours rather than being muddled.

Choobee brought along a friend as well and hey, I wasn't complaining as there was more food to try!  She had the featured appie of the day being the Chicken Liver Pate ($15.00) served with onion jam and brioche.  I found the pate to be super smooth and relatively light.  It was sweet with a hint of cognac. The onion jam was sticky and sweet which was naturally a nice compliment to the pate.  Whipping Girl decided on La Bisque de Homard (Lobster Bisque $12.50) which was poured table side.  At the centre of the bowl rested a prawn quenelle and salmon caviar.  The bisque was creamy and rich with a strong lobster essence.  I liked how it wasn't too heavy on the salt, rather the true flavours were highlighted.  Darina had the classic La Soupe a L'Oignon (French Onion Soup $9.50), where she helped me take the picture, so credit goes to her!  I got to take a couple of spoonfuls of the soup and the first one made me think it was too salty.  On a subsequent scoop with all of the components (the crouton and cheese), it was more balanced with salty, sweet and cheesiness.

And here it is, the dish that caused all the commotion - Moules et Frites (Mussels & Fries $24.00).  This was the entree version which was served with fries.  Otherwise, the appetizer portion would be served without.  The mussels were prepared with a classic white wine and shallot broth which could've been cooked down a touch more as there was a noticeable alcohol taste.  However, it didn't break the dish as the mussels were cooked nicely.  They were plump and sweet. For my main, I had the Navarin D'agneau Printanier (Braised Lamb $28.00) with herb crust, sweet pea puree, fingerling potatoes, root vegetables and tarragon jus.  The lamb was practically melt-in-my-mouth moist.  The meat was fatty, rich and "lambtastic". There was a rich red wine essence to the silky jus. I really enjoyed the herb crust as it added a nice textural contrast to the soft lamb as well as added flavour.  To top it all off (or bottom in this case), the sweet pea puree afforded a certain mellow sweetness to the dish.

Choobee went for Le Cunard et le Porto (Brome Lake Duck Breast $29.00) with sunchoke puree, warm golden beet & farro salad with port wine sauce.  This was a fairly large duck breast which was tender despite being cooked mostly through.  We found the duck skin to be slightly chewy, in need of some crispiness. Underneath, the farro provided body to the tender beats.  The port wine sauce was silky and balanced.  The last dish at the table was Le Pastis Pot au Feu (Braised Beef Shoulder $27.00) with a thick slab of bacon, roasted marrow, turnip and carrot with garlic croutons on the side.  I was able to sample the meats and they were fork tender where their natural flavours shone.  A simple, yet impactful dish.

For dessert, we shared 3 items starting with the Lemon Trio ($10.50) consisting of brulee lemon curd, chiffon cake and sorbet. I found the lemon curd to be too sweet and even the tartness at the end didn't seem to help.  The chiffon cake was fluffy while the sorbet was a nice balance of sweet and tart.  Next was the Molten Chocolate Cake ($10.50) with passion fruit cream and marscapone ice cream. The cake itself was fluffy on the inside while being semi-sweet.  I particularly liked the crunchy crumble on the plate.  Lastly, we had the Madeleines ($9.00) which were warm, soft and great for sharing.  Overall, we thought that Bistro Pastis would rate a solid 4 out of 5 if we had to use numbers.  Basically, it is a classic French Bistro that produces good food with attentive service.

The Good:
- Food is solid
- Service is attentive
- No nonsense, classic bistro

The Bad:
- Could be too traditional for some people
- On the pricier side (but worth it IMO)

Shanghai Xiao Long Bao

*Restaurant is now closed*

In the past, trying to find good Xiao Long Bao in Downtown Vancouver was akin to finding milk at the Bellingham Costco.  However, those dark days seem to be fading as there are 2 choices to be had - Dinesty and Shanghai Xiao Long Bao.  Vandelay thought it would be a good for us to research these joints starting with the latter.  Since Shanghainese food is best when shared, I enlisted the eating prowess of Whipping Girl, Chill and Gordo.  Like most newer restaurants in Vancouver, the "novelty factor" is in full effect, therefore, we decided to arrive before Noon to avoid the rush.

We started with 1/2 of a Wine Chicken ($13.99) which was sauced generously.  Hence, there was no mistaking the xiao shing wine flavour.  It was a little strong for some, but I liked it.  No wussy flavours here.  The free- range chicken itself was prepared properly with a nice layer of gelatin underneath the "jelly-like" skin.  Without any delay, we were presented with THE dish we were waiting for - the Xiao Long Bao ($5.99).  Hey with the dish clearly stated in the restaurant's name, we had high expectations.  And it more or less delivered with its relatively thin dumpling skin and moist flavourful filling.  The soup itself was decent in volume where it exhibited a hit of sweetness and xiao shing wine.  It could've used a touch more ginger in my opinion.

Moving along, the small Hot & Sour Soup ($8.99) arrived in a pretty substantial portion.  We wondered what the large would be like.  The soup had an appealing colour and a good amount of ingredients including coldwater shrimp, crunchy bamboo shoots and wood ear mushrooms, tofu, shredded pork and egg.  Although it had a good kick, the underlying soup base did not have much depth nor meatiness.  Onto more dumplings, we got the obligatory Potstickers ($6.99) which were nicely browned with a crispy bottom.  I found the dumpling skin to be slightly thick and doughy, but not overly so.  Much like the XLBs, there was a good amount of juice inside. The meat filling was a tad chewy, yet it did have a balanced flavour.

Continuing down carbohydrate road, we had the Stir-Fried Rice Cake ($11.99).  Glistening with oil that would make a a teenage cashier at 7-11 a run for their money, the rice cake slices had a significant bite.  The shredded pork was tender while the veggies wilted just enough, however, there was a general lack of flavour. Ignoring the Atkin's diet, we had a plate of Pan-Fried Buns ($6.99) which were fluffy, yet at the same time, had a pretty thick exterior.  The bottom was fried up nicely (with copious amounts of oil) where it was crispy.  Consistent with the other 2 dumplings we had, there was a good amount of sweet, meaty juice inside.  Finally, other than the chicken, we had a meat dish in the Stir-Fried Shredded Pork ($12.99).  The shredded pork was of a nice size and really tender.  There was a low rumble of spice which accented the sweetness of the hoisin.  We liked how the sauce clung onto all of the ingredients without any excess at the bottom of the plate.  The crunchy bamboo shoots and wood ear mushrooms added texture to the plate.

For many, the Fried Bun ($7.00) served with condensed milk is a dessert, but for me, I like it with the shredded pork.  I actually hollow out the end pieces and stuff the pork inside.  Consider it a Chinese taco of sorts.  Give it a try, it's good.  And about that fried bun, it was fried golden brown and crispy.  As you can ascertain, most of the food was on point.  Sure, I've had better Shanghainese food before, but this was not only a solid meal for Downtown standards, it was good for any standards.  Kudos to them for making authentic food where something less would've sufficed.

The Good:
- Well-prepared authentic eats
- Decent portions

The Bad:
- Not enough wait staff
- Stir-fried dishes took too long (probably only one wok going, but people need to get back to work) 

Family Gourmet Deli (Royal Centre)

Lineups.  Yes, you know that thing you stand around waiting for something?  Like at the passport office, grocery store, border crossing and on boxing day...  Well, there must be a reason why we aimlessly loiter for who knows how long.  A sale? Something good?  The toilet at Rogers Arena (well, maybe for the ladies...  sorry ladies...).  Well, that was something I was trying to wrap my brain around when I spotted a large lineup at Family Gourmet Deli at Royal Centre (actually Snake suggested I go try it too).  I asked myself, "self, why are these people lining up like lemmings for sandwiches?".  Were they magical sandwiches?  No, they looked like regular sandwiches with meat, cheese and veggies.

Okay, well being the lemming that I am, I decided to get in line and take my chances.  Ordering was pretty simple, I choose my bread, meat and veggies.  Headed up to the counter and paid.  When my sammie was ready, they called my name.  It was a bit more complex than that since I also put in orders for Chill and Snake as I had arrived in line first. Would that constitute butting in line?  Anyways, Chill decided on the Prosciutto with tomato and lettuce.  Well, what can I say, it was 2 slices of bread with prosciutto and veggies.  He thought the sandwich was okay, but nothing particularly interesting about it.  Snake had the Turkey on whole wheat with lettuce and tomato.  Hmmm...  Is it just me or I could easily replicate this at home?  Yes, I understand that many people are too busy, but really?  

Okay, for myself, I had the Montreal Smoked Meat on rye with cucumber and roasted red peppers.  Am I missing something here?  I ate only half of this because it was just not that appealing.  And it wasn't all the cheap either at over $8.00. I added a side of Clam Chowder which was starchy and not all that creamy.  It was rather bland as well.  Okay.  I know I will be offending a whole bunch of people (because I can tell the place is popular) including the owners, but I didn't get it.  For the price I paid, I could get something more interesting and tastier at one of the many food carts in Downtown.

The Good:
- Lots of different combinations
- A healthier option

The Bad:
- Not really all that interesting
- Can be pricey if you add things

Red Star (Granville)

One look at my "to-eat" list of Dim Sum joints and to my complete horror...  it was getting dangerously low.  Man, there are not many places left to try and most of them are in Richmond.  Curse you!  So I had the decision of heading into the land of driving confusion or do a return visit.  I chose return visit...  The place?  Red Star on Granville.  Hey, it is one of my favourites and we've not been there for Dim Sum since 2009.  Now, what it lacks in traffic confusion, it makes up for it with congestion inside.  Especially during Dim Sum, the traffic jam in the restaurant can rival anything out on the street.  Just trying to make your way to the washroom and/or back to your table can be quite the exercise (especially if you really must go!).

Once we did get to our table, it was a tight squeeze as per usual, but at least we got a table.  You see, they are super busy and if you do not make a reservation, it might be quite the wait.  And yes, we got our table more or less at our requested reservation time.  We started with a few kid favourites including the Shrimp Spring Rolls.  I'm happy to report my son now eats the WHOLE thing including the shrimp (which makes us do cartwheels because it was a b*tch to remove the filling for him each and every time).  As for the roll, it was crispy and full of whole shrimp, which exhibited an appealing snap.  We would've liked to see less salt though since there was enough natural flavours including the ample amount of garlic.  The kiddies loved the Loh Mei Gai (sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves) as it was full of ingredients.  There was almost a 50/50 split between sticky rice and moist ground pork, shrimp and shiitake mushrooms.

Continuing on the shrimp theme, we had the Haw Gow (shrimp dumplings) and they were quite good.  Unlike some other higher-end Dim Sum joints, these dumplings were pretty large.  They were stuffed full of whole shrimp which had a beautiful buttery snap texture.  However, they were too aggressive with the seasoning as it was on the saltier side as well as having too much sesame oil.  As for the Sui Mai (pork & shrimp dumpling), they were equally good.  It may not look it in the picture, but there was actually more shrimp than pork which made for a lighter, snappier texture.  The pork itself had a nice bounce, yet was seasoned a bit too aggressively.  Although, there was a good amount of shiitake mushroom which added another layer of flavour.

Onto one of my Dim Sum favourites, that doesn't include tripe or feet, is the Blackbean Spareribs. The one here was really well-prepared.  The pieces were meaty (with very little cartilage and fat), properly tenderized and flavourful.  There was a good bounce texture combined with a garlicky hit.  Moving onto another Dim Sum classic, we had the Shrimp Rice Noodle Rolls which featured large whole shrimp with flowering chives.  As with all the shrimp so far, these were crunchy.  The noodle was almost the perfect thickness where it was soft while maintaining some elasticity.  Despite his new found love for shrimp, my son balked at the shrimp rice noodle rolls instead opting for his standby being the Soy-Fried Rice Noodle Rolls.  Unfortunately, they really messed up this dish.  As you can clearly see, the noodles were hacked up and broken from the careless stir-frying.  Usually, to maintain their shape, the proper way would be to pan-fry them without tossing.  Disregarding its appearance, the noodles were still nicely textured although a touch salty.

Trying to add some veggies into our meal, we got the Pea Shoots with Bean Curd Sheets.  Arriving on a medium-sized plate, while being a really small portion, it really didn't look like a good value.  I guess quality made up for quantity in this case where the pea shoots were cooked just enough maintaining a crunch.  On the other hand, I didn't really like the salty starch-thickened sauce on top.  Now a visit to Red Star is not complete without having their BBQ Duck.  Why?  Well, they have ducks that are specifically raised for that purpose.  Therefore, these ducks have less fat which bodes well for Peking Duck as well as BBQ Duck.  We ended up with the Lai Fun with BBQ Duck.  If you look at the picture, there was very little fat underneath the crisp roasted duck skin.  Furthermore, the meat was moist and tender. Probably one of the best BBQ ducks in town.

We had a few more items including the Bean Curd Skin Roll and Beef Meatballs.  The bean curd rolls were big and loaded with tender ground pork, wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms and green onion.  I liked the addition of water chestnuts as it added a nice crunch.  Furthermore, there was enough starch-thickened sauce (which was mild) to keep the rolls moist, while not drowning it either.  The Beef Meatballs were overloaded with baking soda as we could taste it in every bite.  Hence the texture of the meat was too soft.  We liked the hit of dried orange peel though.  For dessert, we had the Egg Tarts where the crust was flaky and buttery.  The filling was soft and just sweet enough.  This was a nice end to another solid Dim Sum experience at Red Star.  Albeit a bit expensive, it continues to offer up some of the best Dim Sum in town at its price point.

The Good:
- Generally well-prepared eats
- Portions are respectable for this class of restaurant
- Although hit and miss, service is decent

The Bad:
- Pricey of course
- Not that spacious for Dim Sum considering the class of restaurant 
- A touch heavy with the salt

Hanoi Pho

There it was.  Right at the corner of Hastings and Dunlevy.  It beckoned to me.  It spoke to me.  It said, "come eat here"...   Why was I attracted to it?  Okay, before you get the wrong idea, we're talking about a restaurant folks!  In fact, it is a sad-looking restaurant on the Downtown Eastside.  Hanoi Pho is the name and eating there is my game.  Yes, I had to eat there, despite its location and fairly unwelcoming exterior.  Who should I recruit to tackle this food adventure?  Why, no one else other than Snake.  He's used to slithering around anyways.  This wouldn't faze him.  In fact, he was hungry and suggested we share some items.  I would never turn that down.

We started with the Grilled Chicken Banh Mi  which was full of tender charred chicken which was violated (yes, violated) by an obscene amount of butter mayo.  They could've been more conservative with it.  Also, the bread was not crunchy at all. Snake opted for a bowl of Pho. The broth was dark in colour and looked rich.  One sip and whoa...  What was that flavour?  Licorice-like...  Too much star anise?  Five-spice (better not)?  Whatever the case, my tastebuds were telling me this was flavourful yet completely different than any other Pho broth I've had in town.  Was it bad?  Well no.  In fact, it was good in a strange kinda way.  At least it wasn't bland. The noodles were nicely texture while the meats were sliced thin and tender.

For myself, I went for the Dry Noodles and it was a modest portion topped with thin slices of lean BBQ pork and butterflied shrimp.  I thought the noodles were perfectly al dente however, they were a bit too heavy handed with the sesame oil as it was the dominant flavour by far.  So much so, I could barely taste the soy.  I liked the pork as it was moist despite being lean.  Same could be said about the shrimp as it was barely cooked, but they did a crappy job deveining the darn things.  Seeing how a small bowl of noodles could never satisfy my appetite, I added an order of the Lemongrass Chicken and Pork Chop with Egg on Rice as well.  Now this was a very large portion.  I thought the meats desperately needed more char, specifically the chicken.  On the drier side, the meats were flavourful though. I liked how the egg was free-range and runny. "Not bad" is probably the best way to describe Hanoi Pho.  Yes, I'm acutely aware that there are some loyal customers that might be think more highly of the place, but it was just alright for me.

The Good:
- Decent portions
- Friendly people

The Bad:
- Food wasn't bad per se, but something different about every dish (than I'm used to)
- Not as cheap as one would think considering the location

S&W Pepper House (Crystal Mall)

Yup, it was time for our usual North Road Korean food adventures with Big D and Slick again.  So I fired off an email asking which restaurant we'd hit this time around, but *gasp*, Big D didn't want to eat anywhere near North Road.  Why???  He thought all of the remaining places were pretty mediocre and thought we should explore other options.  Aiya!  What now? Okay, we needed something interesting and impactful.  Something that would really tickle our tastebuds...  Aha!  S&W Pepper House in Crystal Mall.  Oh no...  Crystal Mall!  AND...  The Save-On parking lot was closed as well...  Noooooo....  My only hope, the Burnaby Public Library.  Yes, we really shouldn't take up the parking spots, but there was no way I'd enter the circle parking lot of confusion!  Big D hates the lot so much, he'd rather pay park...

After securing safe parking spots for our cars, we arrived at the restaurant and ordered 4 items off the lunch menu and 1 off the regular menu.  Yes, 5 dishes for 3 people.  Mijune would be proud.  We started with the Guo Qiao Rice Noodles.  Literally translated, these "crossing the bridge noodles" usually consist of ingredients that were not found in this version.  Whatever the case, broth was mild, yet flavourful with depth and body while the lai fun had a good bite.  Before it even hit the table, we could smell the arrival of the Cumin Lamb which elicited a response from our salivary glands.  One bite and we were hooked.  The cumin (I'm refraining from making a joke here...) was strong, but not too strong while there was a balanced level of spice.  Moreover, the lamb was not dry as well as not be overly gamy.

Unlike Americanized versions of Kung Pao Chicken, this was nothing but.  The chicken was moist while the peanuts were crunchy.  Once again, the spice level was just right as we could taste the tang and savouriness of the rest of the flavours. There was one item that I originally forgot to order and thankfully I remembered because it rocked. The Sliced Pork Belly with garlic sauce was money.  The thin slices were warm, but did not fall apart when picked up with our chopsticks.  Naturally, it was fatty, but not overly so.  The meat practically needed no chewing at all.  Most importantly, it was bathed in a sauce that had the right combination of chili oil, garlic, chili flakes, vinegar and soy.  Very tasty.

Lastly, we had the Shredded Pork with garlic & chili sauce was also solid as the julienned meat was tender.  It was accented by crunchy wood ear mushrooms and again had a balanced spice level.  After it was all said and done, Big D and Slick were impressed with the food.  In fact, they wanted to return for more in the near future, especially for the pork belly.  Great.  Crystal Mall again...  Maybe I'll take transit next time.

The Good:
- Balanced flavours including spice level
- Well-priced
- Decent service

The Bad:
- Small place means cramped and probably a wait
- Do I even have to mention the parking lot?