Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa (and The Copper Room)

Gosh, I haven't been back to Harrison Hot Springs in ages.  This little resort has been out-of-sight and out-of-mind even though Viv and I have had many chances to visit.  Why is that anyways?  Not really sure because it ain't that far -only 1.5 hours from Vancouver. Furthermore, it's not really that difficult to get to - just drive East on Hwy 1 and take one exit.  Well, I recently got invited by the Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa to check out the place, as well as dining at The Copper Room.  For a split second, I considered going it alone because Viv couldn't get away on a weekday.  But the thought of snapping photos of my food by myself in a corner at a romantic destination just didn't sit well.  Hence, I invited Miss Y to tag along.  Don't worry, this was wife-approved...

We were put up on the 6th floor in the West Tower facing the lake.  Naturally, the view was fantastic and it was relaxing to sit out on the balcony.  The rooms were nicely appointed with modern decor complete with wireless internet (that worked quite well), flat screen TV, coffee maker and the aforementioned balcony.  Adorned with slate tiles, the washroom was in good shape and appeared upscale.  There was only a standup shower, but with all the pools downstairs, a bathtub was not necessary.  I found the beds to be medium-firm and quite comfortable.  I was able to get a good nights sleep (the blackout curtains didn't hurt either).  Shortly after we arrived, we were treated to a cheese, cracker and fruit plate with wine.  The cheese was supplied by The Farm House Natural Cheeses.

However, the main draw at the resort are the private pools, all 5 of them. They are all hot-spring-fed mineral pools – each at a different temperature.  The outdoor lap pool is kept at 28C (83F), which is great for a dip to cool off from the warmer pools.  Of which, the outdoor adult pool (not pictured) maintains a temperature of 37C (98F).  This is a great place to relax without any kiddies frolicking around.  Now, if you do have children, the outdoor family pool is the largest of them all (at 4000 sq ft) with the same temperature as the lap pool.  Inside, there is a pool that has temperatures ranging from 32 – 35C (90 – 95F).  Adjacent, there is a indoor hot pool that ranges from a toasty 38 – 40C (100 – 104F). I can honestly say my aches and pains never felt so good after multiple dips into the various pools.

After our visit to the pools, Miss Y and I were ready for dinner.  We headed over to the Copper Room where we were greeted to a dining room that was a throwback to yesteryear.  With tables surrounding a dance floor, we were entertained by the Jones Boys that had played there for many years.  Now as for the food, we were allowed to order whatever we wanted.  In fact, our server dared us to order everything.  Hey, I had Miss Y with me, not Mijune!  So we settled on 4 appies, 4 entrees and 2 desserts.  LOL...

We began with the a nicely plated Bison Carpaccio with horseradish aioli, Parmesan and truffle oil.  The meat was really good and melted-in-our-mouths. We felt that there was probably too much aioli, but that didn't make or break the dish.  Next up was something we don't see much on many menus anymore being the Vichyssoise which is a cold potato and leek soup.  Frankly, I've only had this dish only 3 times ever, hence, I am no expert.  However, basing it on whether we liked it independently of other versions, we thought it was pretty good.  It was well-chilled and was fairly light with only the slightest of potato texture.  It wasn't too creamy while the flavours were very mild.

Moving onto our next 2 appies, we had the Goat Cheese and Herb Ratatouille and Fresh Scallops & Pancetta. Interestingly, we thought the ratatouille was more like antipasto atop goat cheese.  Don't get me wrong, it wasn't as if we didn't like it.  In fact, the ratatouille itself had a nice texture which was not firm while not mushy.  Flavourwise, it was sweet and a bit tart.  We felt there was probably too much goat cheese in relation to the ratatouille.  Our favourite appie was the scallops as they looked appetizing exhibiting a nice sear.  The scallops were barely cooked being buttery and sweet (with natural flavour).  The crispy and salty pancetta was a touch overwhelming, but did not make or break the dish.  The mild and creamy white wine and leek sauce was quite nice as it brought some moisture to the dish.

Onto the mains, we tried the Fresh Arctic Char Amandine first.  Sadly, the fish was overdone where the meat was dry and stiff.  Furthermore, there was a general lack of seasoning.  Continuing on that theme, the accompanying rice was also dry and bland.  On the other hand, the fresh veggies were vibrant and crisp.  Thankfully, the Agnolotti stuffed with BC wild mushrooms, cream cheese and provolone was much better.  Completing the dish was a cherry tomato compote and a drizzle of truffle oil.  The pasta was thin, yet chewy and toothsome.  We found the filling to be flavourful and pungent (in an Earthy way).  The truffle oil only further amped the natural flavours.  The tomato compote added the necessary acidity to the dish.

Now for the meat of the meal, literally and figuratively starting with the Bison Tenderloin with blueberry jus.  As stated on the menu, it was simply grilled and served with roasted potates and fresh veggies.  It was prepared a wonderful medium-rare (closer to rare, just how I like it).  The meat was very moist and tender with just enough gaminess for flavour.  There was a good char on the outside which added some richness while the savoury blueberry jus was mild enough to let the meat shine.  Saving the best for last was our favourite dish - the Rack of Lamb which was crusted with Dijon and fresh herbs.  This was accompanied by a polenta cake and fresh veggies while a rich demi-glace adorned the bottom of the plate. The lamb was beautifully cooked being moist and soft.  The crispy impactful crust added texture and a sharp hint of Dijon.

For dessert, we only went for 2 as we were completely stuffed. First off, we had the Chocolate Pate Tower with fresh seasonal berries. This consisted of chocolate pate encased in white chocolate lattice. We found the chocolate pate to be smooth with a nice bitter finish while the white chocolate was pretty sweet.  The tart raspberry coulis helped balance the flavours.  Lastly, we tried the flaming Amaretto Creme Brule. The thin hard sugar topping was nicely caramelized while the creamy custard was smooth and only semi-sweet.  We really got a big hit of amaretto with every bite.  Well, I gotta say this meal was much better than I had anticipated.  Sure, the food is pretty traditional, but 9 of the 10 dishes we had were executed quite well.  Prices are on the higher side, but nothing much in Harrison can be considered cheap.  Oh, and the live entertainment was pretty fun too.

*Note: This was an invited stay and dinner where all food was comped*

The Good:
- Most of the proteins were done right
- Romantic in a traditional manner
- Relaxing

The Bad:
- Pricey
- For those who don't like traditional

DD Mau

I'm sure you've noticed that I often eagerly check out new restaurants to see what the fuss is all about.  But then there are some that take me an excruciating long time to visit.  One of which happens to be DD Mau.  Why?  Honestly, the thought of paying at least double the cost for a Banh Mi just doesn't seem that appetizing.  I've done that at Chopsticks on Pho and came away feeling ripped off (despite serving out good food).  However, since Choobee and I were on our way to BC Place for EAT! Vancouver, I figured it was a good enough reason to stop by to check it out.

From the many choices on the menu, we decided to start with the classic Cold Cut as a baseline of sorts.  The most obvious difference between the Banh Mi served at DD Mau as opposed to the ones you'd find on Kingsway was the bread.  Rather than a wide crusty baguette, they used a long, narrow and denser bun. This eliminated the hallmark crunch from the sandwich which was a definite miss in our opinion.  However, the ingredients were both top-notch and plentiful.  In particular, the amount of pate was spot on providing plenty of flavour and moisture.  It did taste more like traditional pate rather than the Vietnamese version though.  We also tried the BBQ Duck and it was jam-packed with moist and fatty meat.  I'm pretty sure they didn't make the duck in-house, hence the hefty $10.50 price tag (in addition to their rent being in Yaletown).

Lastly, we went for their other featured sandwich being the Roast Pork.  Again, it was packed with enough meat that was there in every bite.  As with the other subs, the pickled carrots and daikon were crunchy and balanced adding a nice acidity which cut through the fat.  We actually ended up eating most of the meat without the bread because it was so dense.  By just judging the sandwiches independently from the prices, we thought they were carefully made with plenty of great ingredients.  As mentioned, we weren't fond of the bread.  Now back to the prices - we understand why they charge double of the ones found outside of Downtown.  The rent, operating costs and ingredients all add up.  However, for many, I can see that they might care about these factors and stick to the ones found on Kingsway.

The Good:
- Good amount of quality ingredients
- An interesting amount of different choices

The Bad:
- Didn't like the dense bread
- Expensive for Banh Mi (but you need to consider the location and material costs)

The American Grille

Now before you point out that we were in Richmond once again, my mom's birthday required a kid-friendly place where we could enjoy a decent meal.  I went back to the well and decided on another hotel restaurant.  Now, there once was a time this would translate into culinary anti-creativity, but hotel restaurants have come a long way.  Many are balancing the need to provide safe, predictable food and the desire to be more adventurous.  Our restaurant of choice this time would be the American Grille in the Vancouver Airport Marriott (photo courtesy of TripAdvisor). One of the main contributing factors to this decision was because I had purchased a couple of Travelzoo coupons.

For myself, I had the Braised Beef Brisket Sliders as my appie.  This was definitely a share plate as it would be difficult for someone to eat this and have a main course (unless you're Mijune that is).  The beef was moist and well-sauced exhibiting a combination of sweetness and spice.  The coleslaw was crunchy and not over-dressed.  I really liked the herb bun as it not only stood up to the wet ingredients, the herbs added another layer of flavour.  Viv had the Moules et Frites which featured a white wine reduction with garlic, onions, tomatoes and chives.  We found the broth to be buttery and full of red onion essence but little wine flavour.  The mussels were plump and cooked nicely, however, the frites were not really frites and didn't mesh well with the dish.

My mom had the West Coast Dungeness Crab Cakes which were deep fried.  Personally, I much prefer pan-fried, but these were crunchy and not that greasy.  There was a good amount of fluffy sweet crab and very little filler.  They were not shy with the salt which could've been balanced off with some acidity.  Although the remoulade could be easily mistakened for tartar sauce, it really wasn't. I think by calling this a "causal" approach to crab cakes would be the best description.  Trying to not duplicate any appies, my dad settled on the Crispy Crab Spring Rolls consisting of dungeness crab and mango.  These were served piping hot while the grease was kept to a minimum.  Again, the chunks of crab were fluffy and sweet while the veggies were crisp in addition to the sweet mango.

For my main, I went for the Danish Baby Back Ribs for some reason.  I usually do not order ribs from non-rib joints and this was another example.  Obviously, the ribs were parboiled before being grilled and sauced.  Hence, the meat was tender, yet dry around the edges.  The sauce was predominantly sweet.  Again, the fries were pretty generic, but crispy.  Viv had the Smoked Sable Fish with fingerling potatoes, caramelized onions and veggies in a honey miso glaze.  We thought the fish was prepared properly as it was moist, fatty and flaky.  It was only lightly smoked.  As for the sauce, it was too sweet and strangely too salty too with a touch of acidity.  We weren't huge fans of the onion as it had no impact.

My dad had the Bouillabaisse which included cold water prawns, halibut, salmon and mussels in a tomato broth. Although the seafood was plentiful, the fish was overcooked.  As for the tomato broth, he thought it was lacking in punch where it was very mild.  Not a bad bouillabaisse, but not memorable either.  On the flipside, my mom had the best dish of the night being the Oven Roasted Rack of Lamb.  No, you are not seeing double in the picture.  That my friends, was one serving.  For $28.00, we all felt it was a fabulous value.  Now value is one thing, but what about the execution.  Thankfully, this was a fairly well-prepared dish too.  The lamb was cooked a beautiful medium-rare and was really moist and juicy.  It was served with overly dense gnocchi, vibrant veggies and a rich natural jus.

For the kiddies, they ordered off the kid's menu.  My son had the Chicken Strips and Fries.  We liked the fact that the chicken strip was house-made with a crispy panko coating.  Being white meat, the strips weren't exactly super moist though.  Maybe brining the meat first could've helped.  As for my daughter, she had the Fish & Chips. The fish itself was moist and flaky, but it suffered from far too much batter which was thick and doughy.  On the positive side, the batter was crunchy.  The side of tartar sauce had a strange resemblance to the remoulade that went with the crab cakes.  With the coleslaw being the same as the one in the sandwich, it was crunchy and nicely dressed.

Off to dessert, we all shared the Apple Strudel and NY Cheesecake. We found the apple filling to be overly mild.  There was little in the way of tang and sweetness.  However, the ice cream went a long way in helping the cause.  The pastry was flaky and light.  As for the cheesecake, it was rich and heavy.  We liked how it wasn't too sweet where we could taste the cream cheese.  So remember at the very start of this blog post where I lamented the hotel restaurant of the past.  Well, I believe that the American Grille is a modern version of the traditional hotel restaurant.  The food is safe and not overly imaginative, yet at the same time is serviceable.  Most, if not all the dishes were fine, but not overly memorable except for the lamb. Bottom line - the food is pretty vanilla aimed directly at the unadventurous hotel guest.

The Good:
- Safe food
- Rack of lamb has to be one of the better values in town
- Service is attentive

The Bad:
- Not much deviation from the regular here
- I wouldn't consider it fine dining, rather elevated casual fare

VEDA Bistro

*Restaurant is not closed*
 
We all know the "F" word.  It's both vulgar and contentious.  No, I'm not talking about that word, rather I'm referring the other "F" word - Fusion.  Ah yes, the combination of 2 or more types of cuisine into one dish - exciting to some while completely taboo to others.  Personally, if something tastes good, I don't really give a flying rat's arse what and who made it.  Except if there is actually rat in the dish...  Consider this, many Vietnamese dishes are the result of French influences.  You don't see many people complaining about a great Pho or Banh Mi.  So with that mindset, I set off to my latest restaurant invite to VEDA Bistro out in Langley.

With a modern and "fine dining" twist to Northern Indian food, VEDA Bistro boldly tries to make it work in heart of Langley.  Viv and I were treated to a feast which began with the Kebab Sampler consisting of lamb, prawns and chicken.  All of the proteins were well-prepared with the lamb being moist with hits of cumin, onion and garlic.  The prawns had a nice char and were naturally sweet with a beautiful snap.  The chicken was sufficiently tender with a noticeable sweetness and only a hint of spice.  Next up was the Stone Kebab consisting of clove-smoked filets of beef topped with a ginger marmalade.  Although beef was tenderized via pounding and charred nicely, it was rather tough.  On the other hand, the ginger marmalade added a impactful sweetness and pop.  Despite looking merely like a garnish, the cheese crisp helped balance the sweetness.

Our last appie was the Mahi Fish Tikka which was prepared in a yogurt marinade encased in phyllo pastry. The fish was firm, yet flaky at the same time.  Although the fish itself was not seasoned enough, the pineapple chutney more than made up for it.  Most of the phyllo was crispy except for the bottom as it got soft from the moisture of the fish.  All 3 appies came with coleslaw which was crunchy, fresh with a nice spice level and zing (in a Dijon kind of way).  The streak of mango coulis was not merely there for colour as it had a kick with a big hit of cumin.  Next, we tried the Aromatic Chicken Soup consisting of organic chicken, ginger and herbs.  The soup was really flavourful bordering on salty, but the finish was nice.  The caramelized onions on top added a level of sweetness that complimented the light creamy broth.

We were served a Vegetable Biryani to accompany the main courses.  It was prepared with fresh vegetables with saffron infused spiced rice.  The use of fresh veggies really showed as there was natural textures and flavours.  The rice was firm and had a mild hit of saffron with a decent spice level.  The fresh ginger and caramelized onions added more layers of flavour to the rice.  Arriving in a large basket, we got 3 types of Naan, including garlic, sesame and regular.  All of them had a browned crispy underside while being soft and chewy throughout.  The garlic naan was aromatic on its own, as well as the sesame version.

For the purposes of trying as many different dishes as possible, we got smaller portions of Fish Curry, Lamb Curry, Butter Chicken and Palak Paneer.  The fish was flaky and moist while bathed in a gingery and spicy curry which resulted in a lingering aftertaste.  The lamb was a touch chewy where the curry had depth with hits of onion, cumin and spice.  Being prepared with fresh tomatoes, the butter chicken was predictably lighter and fresher tasting.  It was still mildly creamy with tender morsels of chicken.  With large chunks of tender cheese, the palak paneer was rich, creamy and vibrant.  Again, it was prepared with fresh spinach rather than the frozen variety.

As if we needed anymore food, we were presented with the BBQ Crockpot Bison Short Ribs served with purple potatoes.  We liked how the braising liquid was mild, yet exhibiting a wealth of flavours at the same time.  We picked out cinnamon and cloves.  The rib itself was braised until fork tender.  Our last entree was the Tandoori Lamb Chops marinated in merlot and served with fenugreek cream sauce.  Now if this sounds familiar, you might make the connection with Vij's.  And I will boldly say that this version would give it a run for its money. Not exactly the same, but good in its own right with super tender lamb chops with a nice acidic hit from the wine while balanced out with the smooth mild sauce.

We finished off our meal with 2 desserts including Gulab Jamun and Pisatchio Kulfi Falooda.  Surprisingly, the gulab jamun was not crazy sweet, but the sauce made up for that being rich and sugary.  The falooda was constructed with rich ice cream, pistachios and basil seeds.  This was a texturally smooth dessert with only mild sweetness.  The ice cream was indeed rich, but a touch icy.  Suffice to say, we didn't finish all this food, but it did give a good overview of what VEDA bistro is about.  We found most of the dishes (the fusion and traditional) to be well-prepared, except for one (the Stone Kebab).  With that in mind, VEDA succeeds in bringing something different to the table in terms of Indian food in Langley.

The Good:
- Something different and interesting
- Open and comfortable dining space
- Reasonable pricing

The Bad:
- As with any fusion cuisine, everyone will have a differing opinion

Big Star Sandwich Co

Normally, the latest trends or fads get their start in Downtown or Vancouver proper (or with some Asian stuff, Richmond) such as the ramen craze, gourmet burgers and cupcakes.  With that, the 'burbs get shutout or at the very least get the trickle-down effect.  However, often something gets lost in translation as we move further and further away from the source.  Thankfully, this is not the case at Big Star Sandwich Company in New West.  After drooling over the pictures of their sammies on the internet, I swung by to sample their wares.

I decided to go for 3 half-size sammies for $5.00 each (full size are $9.00).  First, I tried the Roast Beef and Capocollo with provolone, lettuce, tomato and mustard first. The ample amount of roast beef was meaty and tender.  It had a nice natural roasted flavour which was accented by the spiciness of the capocollo.  Add in grainy mustard and the right amount of veggies, this was a hearty sandwich.  Normally, I complain about the hard buns most other places use.  Well not here.  The bun was soft, substantial and fresh.  It caressed all of the ingredients with every bite.  My only suggestion would be to lightly toast them so that it doesn't get spongy from the wet ingredients. Next up was the Turkey, Bacon and Avocado with cheddar, lettuce, tomato, mayo and honey mustard. Although the turkey was on the drier side (as it tends to be), it was surrounded by a good amount of mayo, veggies and avocado to moisten things up.  There was a generous amount of lean crispy bacon which added the necessary punch of flavour.

I also had an unnamed sandwich which we'll call The Royal.  It consisted of roast beef, bacon, avocado, cheddar, lettuce, tomato and chipotle aioli.  This was a savoury and spicy sandwich that had the smoothness of avocado and saltiness from the bacon.  I was only going to have a few bites, but I ended up finishing the whole thing.  In fact, half a sandwich was already quite filling and at $5.00, I'd rather hit up Big Star than Subway or Quizno's.

The Good:
- Quality ingredients
- Nice flavour combinations
- Soft bun (easy to eat)

The Bad:
- Interesting location, not enough walk-up traffic?
- Small place, mostly for take out (which works for most people)

Pho 36

Originally, with us being in the Seattle sans enfants, we were planning to hit up some restaurants that were not kid-friendly.  However, due to our power shopping and picking up goods from Goose, we didn't have a whole lot of time to eat.  We even ate the free breakfast at our hotel (which was not really blogable - the horror!).  Since we, wait, I mean Viv still had lots of shopping to do, we stopped for a quick lunch at Pho 36 in Lynnwood.

We had the Salad Roll first and it was quite good.  As evidenced in the picture, the rolls were large and properly constructed with vermicelli, lettuce, basil, sprouts, pork and shrimp. The rice wrapper was moist while still retaining a nice elasticity.  Furthermore, the dipping sauce was balanced between peanut and hoisin. Continuing on the large theme, the Grilled Pork Banh Mi was loaded with filling.  Being chewy, yet well charred, the pork had a nice smoky flavour.  There was too much mayonnaise for our liking as the sandwich was too saucy.  We felt the bun was far too large and dense despite the crustiness of the outside.

We shared a bowl of Pho Dac Biet which featured a pretty mild broth.  It was on the sweeter side with hints of daikon.  There was a sufficient amount of noodles as well as tender meats.  However, there could've been more of each.  Finally, we had the Lemongrass Chicken on Rice with a fried egg.  The sliced chicken was kissed nicely by the grill and exhibited plenty of sweetness and smokiness.  It was slightly dry but not terribly.  The rice was dry as well, but the runny egg yolk helped alleviate that.  As with most Vietnamese joints, Pho 36 did the job without incident.  A quick, cheap meal when shopping trumps eating.

The Good:
- Decent eats
- Okay service

The Bad:
- Not that it is important, but it is worth noting the cluttered decor