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Often more than not, finding a kid-friendly restaurant where the adults can enjoy a unique (as in something that doesn't involve Triple-O sauce or an onion ring tower) meal is as challenging as a traffic circle in Vancouver (that upside down triangle means Y-I-E-L-D). Sure, there are the hotel spots, but very few nicer restaurants offer an actual kid's menu. However, to our surprise, Edible Canada at the Market not only offers one, the prices are actually reasonable. Hence, Edible Canada was our destination for my dad's birthday.
Exactly how it should be, the kid's meals arrived first. I commend them for that since many restaurants do not make such allocations for kids. My daughter had the Fish & Chips with duck fat fries. For the price, this was not only an ample portion, it was good too. The fish was flaky and super moist while the batter was crunchy with minimal grease. As for the fries, they were crispy and aromatic from the duck fat. My son, the ever-adventurous eater (yah right), had the Grilled Cheese and fries. Made with white cheddar, it was a good grilled cheese being nicely browned on both sides. They weren't shy with the butter nor the cheese as it was quite rich. He exclaimed that he liked it, but he loved the fries even more so.
For myself, I had their 3-course menu starting with the Quinoa & Beet Salad. I found the field greens to be slightly overdressed, yet in the end, it wasn't devoid of flavour. With the quinoa mixed in, I found the texture to be quite odd while the beets seemed to be an afterthought on the plate. The crumble of goat cheese was a nice compliment though as it added a certain cool creaminess that was balanced by the balsamic reduction. For my next course, I had the Pacific Fish Cake with ginger and green onion accompanied by chili aioli. I found the breading to be decently crispy while the inside to be a bit too mushy for my tastes. It was like mashed potatoes. I did appreciate the considerable lemon hit as well as the tart and spicy aioli.
Viv also had the 3-course meal and started with the Spiced Butternut Squash Soup with Maple creme fraiche, sage and toasted pumpkin seeds. We found the soup to be smooth while mild in flavour. There was a hint of sweetness from the creme fraiche and herbiness from the sage. The star of the dish as the crunchy pumpkin seeds as they added some wonderful texture. Next, she had the Bison and Bacon Meatballs with curly kale, parsnip puree and tomato gravy topped with Allegretto cheese. As expected, the meatballs were on the chewy and dry side due to the lean bison. It was meaty though where the fresh and tomatoey (while not tart) sauce was enough to flavour the dish.
My dad also had the squash soup and followed it up with the Wild Mushroom Croquettes. These were made with goat cheese and served with a Romesco sauce. As evidenced in the picture, the croquettes were fried up light and crispy. Interestingly, we were searching for goat cheese and mushroom as the flavours were very muted. We liked the Romesco sauce though as it was mildly peppery with some nuttiness. For his main, he had the Lois Lake Steelhead Filet with Canadian grain medley, harvest vegetables, herb beurre blanc and fennel puree. With a beautifully seared crispy skin and moist flesh, the salmon was prepared beautifully. It was only lightly seasoned where it was enough for flavour without overwhelming the fish. The veggies underneath were still crisp and vibrant.
My mom went for the regular menu and began with the West Coast Clam Chowder. It was enhanced by double-smoked bacon and candied salmon which added a certain smoky-sweetness. Combined with a creamy and slightly seafoody broth, this was a solid interpretation of chowder. Onto her main, she opted for the Heritage Angus Steak Frites where the steak was sous-vide medium rare and served with peppercorn jus, salsa verde and duck fat fries. The steak was super moist and required little chewing. Both the jus and salsa verde were quite mild and did not interfere with the natural meat flavour. And as mentioned before, the duck fat fries were fantastic.
The award for dud of the meal, it would be Viv's Fraser Valley Pork Chop (served with buttercup squash puree, harvest vegetables, apple jus and mustard crumb). Although it was served slightly pink in the middle, Viv had to work her jaw muscles to break down the meat. It was in dire need of a brine (for flavour and texture) or something. We noticed a lady at the next table making a weird face when she took her first bite. Fail in every sense of the word. Onto my dish, I tried the Duo of Elk with medium-rare medallion, braised leg and spatzle, harvest vegetables and juniper jus. I loved the medallion as it had a flavourful bark and was remarkably tender for game while the jus added a nice red wine hint. I was not as enthused with the braised leg as it was pretty dry and stringy. Not sure if mixing it an equally dry spatzle was a good textural idea.
Lastly, we shared 2 desserts including the Molasses & Ginger Cake and Campfire S'mores. Resembling a sticky toffee cake, but with bits of candied ginger, the cake was not as sweet as it looked. We found it be moist with a considerable ginger hit. The salted caramel sauce was a nice compliment as it added even more moisture to the mild chocolate, molasses & ginger cake. Oh and the pumpkin ice cream made it even more rich! With their interpretation of s'mores with a bed of melted dark chocolate, torched marshmallows and graham cracker crumble on top, they were able to elevate it to another level. We liked it for its simplicity. In conclusion, the meal as a whole was acceptable except for a few duds. Considering the wide range of dishes we sampled, it is impossible for any restaurant to be perfect. Therefore, if you choose the right dishes, Edible Canada is an option on Granville Island.
The Good:
- 3-course menu is a decent value
- Kid-friendly complete with great kid's meals
- Service we got was fine
The Bad:
- Regular dinner menu is pricey
- Food is okay, but can be better
- Seats are not particularly comfortable
As much as it seems like I blog about everything, I actually leave many eating adventures out. Case in point, I've had BETA5 treats countless times without actually putting it into text and pictures. Finally, the day had come. I actually went on my own (not a food tour, event nor someone bringing it to a party) and got myself a healthy (ironic description) amount of their cream puffs and some chocolate-covered cherries. Also, I'll throw in some chocolates I've had in the past to make this post complete.
Okay, the whole point of the visit was for their Cream Puffs (which my daughter loves... as with macarons... expensive tastes!). Starting from the top left and clockwise, I got one each of the Vanilla, Coconut & Passionfruit (actually got 2 because I love them), 85% Dark Chocolate & Caramel, Blueberry Yuzu, Milk Chocolate S'More, Black Forest, Salted Caramel and Milk Chocolate Praline. They're not cheap at $4.50 each (9 for $35.00), but for me at least, they are well worth it. Why? Well, if they are eaten fresh, the puff themselves are light and crispy on the outside. Furthermore, I find their flavours to be on point and not crazy sweet. One of my favourites is the Salted Caramel as it has just enough salt to enhance the rich sweetness. I tried the Vanilla and it was a little mild custardy with cream. The 85% Dark Chocolate was as we expected with a rich chocolatey hit with only mild sweetness. For me, my absolute favourite is the Coconut & Passionfruit as it has a good balance of flavours where it blends sweetness with a nice tart zing.
Heck, since I got almost all of the flavours (except for Banana Cream), I sampled the rest including the Black Forrest. This one was predictably sweeter due to the cherry glaze and icing on top. Not bad, but not my favourite. The Milk Chocolate S'More was more creamy than smores-like as there was only a modest amount of toasted marshmallow on top. I didn't mind it though as it wasn't sickeningly sweet. Another one in the "meh" category (at least for me) was the Milk Chocolate Praline as it was heavy and sweeter than the rest as there was crunchy praline on top and a chunk of chocolate ganache atop a brownie-like cake. Pretty heavy. However, the last one, being the Blueberry Yuzu, did bring things back to the lighter side. By virtue of the yuzu, the cream was tart and citrusy.
While I was waiting for my order to be filled, I sampled their Sun-dried Okanagan Cherry Pebbles coated with 63% dark chocolate and dusted with cocoa powder. These were good with large, sweet dried cherries covered with rich dark chocolate. Previously, I was able to sample their award-winning Chocolates that included Imperial Stout, Caramelized Banana, Coconut-Lime, Olive Oil, Early Grey, Espresso, Jasmine Tea, Nikka Whiskey, Lemon Verbena, Crispy Prailine, 72% Dark and Tobacco. Definitely interesting flavours and honestly, I'm not going to talk about them all in depth. However, I can say that the flavours were purposeful and identifiable while the chocolate themselves were high quality. The sheen, aroma and silkiness after the initial firm bite made these legit. Very good chocolates. And there are even more products beyond what I sampled. I suggest you pay them a visit to see for yourself.
The Good:
- Owners obviously care immensely about their product
- Purposeful flavours
- Just plain awesome
The Bad:
- Quality and awesomeness comes at a price
- Interesting, yet awkward location
Suddenly out of the blue, Miss Y texted indicating she wanted to go out for eats. I pondered for a few seconds... Okay! I'm not even sure why I spent any time thinking about it. Pretty lady and potentially good food - how can I say no? So interestingly, we didn't have a destination in mind and we literally drove down Kingsway from Edmonds all the way to Fraser Street. Nope, nothing interested us until we found Bun Cha Ca Hoang Yen.
Naturally, we started with the Cha Ca which was accompanied by rice noodles, veggies and pickled daikon/carrots. I liked the texture of the fish cakes as they were soft while exhibiting a bouncy chew. Loved the flavours too as I could really taste the herbs. Arriving in a broth that could be only described as muddy or rustic, the Pho Dac Biet tasted better than it looked. There was a meatiness to it where the MSG was not the most prominent flavour (but it was there though). I wasn't able to pick out any of the usual flavours such as anise, charred onion and ginger. The noodles were al dente and the meats were plentiful and really tender.
Being ambitious, we also had the Lemongrass Chicken and Fried Egg with Rice. The thick deboned thigh was super juicy with big hits of lemongrass. There was a good char, yet the skin was not rendered enough being quite fatty. Although we had enough food already, I couldn't help ordering the Grilled Black Cod. I had to do a double-take when I noticed it was only $9.95. For the price, we got a big black cod steak that was fried beautifully. It was fatty, moist and flaky. The skin was crispy and a textural delight. Overall, we enjoyed our meal except for the lackluster pho broth. Good eats at the always reasonable pricing of this type of Vietnamese restaurant.
The Good:
- Well made eats
- Common to this type of restaurant, reasonably-priced
The Bad:
- Pho broth a bit murky and one-dimensional in flavour
I had originally visited Maguro during the early stages of blogging and declared that the food was pretty decent for Ladner, if not the GVRD in general. Looking back, I now cringe at such statements because I had only a limited cache of Japanese restaurants in my blog. So there was no choice but to head back to see if my initial assessment was on the mark or completely bogus.
I started with the Appetizer Sashimi. The well-sized slices looked and tasted fresh (as much as flash frozen fish can be). There was a nice sheen which translated into a natural sweetness. The presentation was pretty clean and appetizing in my opinion. I thought the portion size was good for the price. They didn't skimp on the wasabi either. Next was the Appetizer Tempura which was also a healthy size where the batter looked a bit thick, yet ultimately it was light and crispy. Inside, the ebi exhibited a buttery snap while the veggies retained a bite despite being cooked through. I liked how the sweet potato was sliced thin enough where it wasn't dense.
For my main, I tried the Katsu Don which featured a large pork cutlet atop chewy rice. I found the meat to be slightly tough, but the crunchy exterior coating made up for it. The tonkatsu sauce was quite potent with a significant Worchestershire sharp hit. I wasn't a huge fan of the large amount of slivered white onions underneath as they were not cooked enough and the resulting moisture made the bottom of the dish wet. On another visit, I gave the Spicy Tuna Tataki a go. It consisted of 4 thick slices of nicely charred tuna doused with a sesame vinaigrette, spicy sauce and bonito. I thought the slices could've been thinner, but in the end, it was meaty and quite good. The sauce was a bit much, but I did like the acidity.
For my requisite maki sushi, I tried their Woonia Roll constructed of spicy chopped scallop and avocado with deep fried halibut cheek topped with tobiko on the outside. A drizzle of unagi sauce and spicy mayo added some moisture and zip. I wanted to like this roll as the mild flavours were accented by the sauces. Also, the crunch from the fried cheeks was a good textural contrast. However, there was far too much rice, which was a bit gummy, that made the roll quite heavy. So these 2 "revisits" pretty confirmed what I initially thought - Maguro is the best in Ladner but would be average everywhere else.
The Good:
- Decent eats for Ladner
- Efficient staff when not busy
The Bad:
- Decent eats for Ladner, but there is obviously better elsewhere
- Sparse service when busy
Although we play hockey every Friday in North Van, it would be a miracle that we actually ate there afterwards. Could it be the lack of options? Nope. Were people afraid of wildlife in the area? LOL no... Maybe it was the fear of driving up hills? Nah... Oh I know, it was the shock of not experiencing poorly parked cars and/or drivers that had the inability to shoulder check or use their blinkers (like in a place that is located South of Vancouver...). No not really, but it sounds good though. No matter the reason, it was up to me to suggest we head to the District for late night eats.
For me, I decided to begin my late night feasting on some Mushroom Soup which was more brothy than creamy. It was thick though with some texture (not completely pureed), peppery notes, noticeably woodsy essence as well as fresh thyme. It could've used a bit more salt though. Unfortunately, there was significantly-sized thyme twigs that diminished my eating enjoyment. Emilicious ended up with the French Onion Soup where all of the components were there including the crouton and plenty of melted cheese. There was a sweet onion hit, but once again, it could've used more salt.
Before my main, I shared the Steak Tartare with Emilicious. As stated on the menu, it was prepared with steak tenderloin, quail's egg yolk and seasoning. I found the meat to be smooth, melt-in-my-mouth consistency. However, I would've liked to see more yolk for the amount of meat and a touch more bite. Otherwise, it was good. For myself, I tried their Blue Cheese and Bacon Mussels served with patat friet. The modest portion of mussels were plump and buttery which were accented by a slight blue cheese sharpness. I didn't really get a whole lot of bacon though and the amount of broth was far too minimal to be useful. The side of patat friet was fantastic being crunchy and light.
Gordo went for the #13 Burger made with a tenderloin and sirloin patty, tapenade & caramelized white onion mayo. The house-ground patty was thick and moist which was flavoured mildly by the accompaniments. It came with a whack load of their fantastic fries which was more than I could say about the small cup that came with my mussels. Sweet Tooth, who got burned at the now-closed 3 Lions by their pathetic beet salad went back to the well and ordered the Warm Beet Salad. It was comprised of red and golden beets, sauteed red onion and spinach topped with a fried goat cheese ball, candied walnuts and a balsamic drizzle. This was a substantial portion with well-textured beets. There was a good balance of sweetness and acidity to the dish, but not enough salt. The fried goat cheese was crispy and a nice compliment.
Milhouse opted for the Oven Roasted Chicken and Brie Sandwich with sun dried cranberry mayo and house-made tarragon & rosemary preserve. He thought the chicken was sufficiently moist while the rest of the ingredients added both sweetness and aromatics. But a bit more salt would've made the flavours more balanced. So if you were paying attention... Bueller, bueller, bueller... You would have noticed that a pinch of salt here and there would've made the flavours sing. Other than that, the food was decent enough.
The Good:
- Open late
- Nice vibe (not too quiet, not too loud)
- Decent service
The Bad:
- Food needs a touch more seasoning (ie. salt)
- A little on the pricier side
"What's this?", I queried after spotting a flyer for Noodle Canteen in my junk mail. Another fast food noodle joint in the same fashion as Noodle Box and Wok Box? As much as I am indifferent towards the 2 aforementioned spots, they will never be a priority to revisit. My issue isn't necessarily against the food as they don't really appeal to the authentic-seeking crowd anyways. The main reason I'm indifferent is that I can just go down to any Asian joint and get better for cheaper. But seeing that I want to try everything, I paid Noodle Canteen a visit anyways.
With 2 locations in the lower mainland, Noodle Canteen is a New Zealand chain of cooked-to-order fast Asian food. As I made my way into the place, I was startled by the fact that the staff were Chinese (they spoke mainland Chinese). Not that it really matters (because anyone can be trained to make any type of food), but it seemed to legitimize the place somewhat (strange but true). Currently, they have a special (for dinner only) where their Hot Box is only $6.20. Okay, before you get the wrong idea, the hot box doesn't involve smoking up in one's car. Rather, it is a fried egg noodle dish consisting of roast pork, chicken, beef and fresh veggies in a Thai chili sauce. I opted for pretty hot and it did have a nice kick. The still chewy noodles were the beneficiary of good wok heat where the flavours were caramelized. Their other special is the Honey Chicken Noodle ($6.00) with egg noodles and veggies. The noodles were pretty much the same without meat and spice. The battered chicken on top was moist but overly sweet in my opinion. With thick egg noodles, the Garlic Prawns was the mildest item we tried. It actually bordered on bland. On the other hand, the noodles were chewy and the large prawns had a nice snap.
For the kiddies, I thought the Combination Noodles would be a good idea since it only consisted of egg noodles, prawn, beef, pork, chicken and veggies in oyster sauce. Once again, the dish was very similar to the first 2 yet without spice. I found the beef to be a little on the drier side though while the BBQ pork was pretty good. Probably the best noodles of the bunch was the Hokkien Mee made with thick egg noodles, roast pork, shrimp, bean shoots, onion, bak choy and spring onion in dark soy and mild chili sauce. Again with good wok heat, the flavours were intense (savoury and some sweet) with a touch of spice. With a bevy of ingredients including the same meaty BBQ pork, snappy shrimp and crunchy veggies, it was full of textures and flavours. As you can see, the thing that sets Noodle Canteen apart is that the food most resembles Asian food (in a no-nonsense and unsexy manner). It may not be great food, but decent for a quick meal.
The Good:
- Large portions
- Good wok heat
- No-nonsense, made-to-order food
The Bad:
- By virtue of trying to represent so many different Asian cuisines, some things are lost in translation
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Often more than not, finding a kid-friendly restaurant where the adults can enjoy a unique (as in something that doesn't involve Triple-O sauce or an onion ring tower) meal is as challenging as a traffic circle in Vancouver (that upside down triangle means Y-I-E-L-D). Sure, there are the hotel spots, but very few nicer restaurants offer an actual kid's menu. However, to our surprise, Edible Canada at the Market not only offers one, the prices are actually reasonable. Hence, Edible Canada was our destination for my dad's birthday.
Exactly how it should be, the kid's meals arrived first. I commend them for that since many restaurants do not make such allocations for kids. My daughter had the Fish & Chips with duck fat fries. For the price, this was not only an ample portion, it was good too. The fish was flaky and super moist while the batter was crunchy with minimal grease. As for the fries, they were crispy and aromatic from the duck fat. My son, the ever-adventurous eater (yah right), had the Grilled Cheese and fries. Made with white cheddar, it was a good grilled cheese being nicely browned on both sides. They weren't shy with the butter nor the cheese as it was quite rich. He exclaimed that he liked it, but he loved the fries even more so.
For myself, I had their 3-course menu starting with the Quinoa & Beet Salad. I found the field greens to be slightly overdressed, yet in the end, it wasn't devoid of flavour. With the quinoa mixed in, I found the texture to be quite odd while the beets seemed to be an afterthought on the plate. The crumble of goat cheese was a nice compliment though as it added a certain cool creaminess that was balanced by the balsamic reduction. For my next course, I had the Pacific Fish Cake with ginger and green onion accompanied by chili aioli. I found the breading to be decently crispy while the inside to be a bit too mushy for my tastes. It was like mashed potatoes. I did appreciate the considerable lemon hit as well as the tart and spicy aioli. 
Viv also had the 3-course meal and started with the Spiced Butternut Squash Soup with Maple creme fraiche, sage and toasted pumpkin seeds. We found the soup to be smooth while mild in flavour. There was a hint of sweetness from the creme fraiche and herbiness from the sage. The star of the dish as the crunchy pumpkin seeds as they added some wonderful texture. Next, she had the Bison and Bacon Meatballs with curly kale, parsnip puree and tomato gravy topped with Allegretto cheese. As expected, the meatballs were on the chewy and dry side due to the lean bison. It was meaty though where the fresh and tomatoey (while not tart) sauce was enough to flavour the dish.
My dad also had the squash soup and followed it up with the Wild Mushroom Croquettes. These were made with goat cheese and served with a Romesco sauce. As evidenced in the picture, the croquettes were fried up light and crispy. Interestingly, we were searching for goat cheese and mushroom as the flavours were very muted. We liked the Romesco sauce though as it was mildly peppery with some nuttiness. For his main, he had the Lois Lake Steelhead Filet with Canadian grain medley, harvest vegetables, herb beurre blanc and fennel puree. With a beautifully seared crispy skin and moist flesh, the salmon was prepared beautifully. It was only lightly seasoned where it was enough for flavour without overwhelming the fish. The veggies underneath were still crisp and vibrant.
My mom went for the regular menu and began with the West Coast Clam Chowder. It was enhanced by double-smoked bacon and candied salmon which added a certain smoky-sweetness. Combined with a creamy and slightly seafoody broth, this was a solid interpretation of chowder. Onto her main, she opted for the Heritage Angus Steak Frites where the steak was sous-vide medium rare and served with peppercorn jus, salsa verde and duck fat fries. The steak was super moist and required little chewing. Both the jus and salsa verde were quite mild and did not interfere with the natural meat flavour. And as mentioned before, the duck fat fries were fantastic.
The award for dud of the meal, it would be Viv's Fraser Valley Pork Chop (served with buttercup squash puree, harvest vegetables, apple jus and mustard crumb). Although it was served slightly pink in the middle, Viv had to work her jaw muscles to break down the meat. It was in dire need of a brine (for flavour and texture) or something. We noticed a lady at the next table making a weird face when she took her first bite. Fail in every sense of the word. Onto my dish, I tried the Duo of Elk with medium-rare medallion, braised leg and spatzle, harvest vegetables and juniper jus. I loved the medallion as it had a flavourful bark and was remarkably tender for game while the jus added a nice red wine hint. I was not as enthused with the braised leg as it was pretty dry and stringy. Not sure if mixing it an equally dry spatzle was a good textural idea.
Lastly, we shared 2 desserts including the Molasses & Ginger Cake and Campfire S'mores. Resembling a sticky toffee cake, but with bits of candied ginger, the cake was not as sweet as it looked. We found it be moist with a considerable ginger hit. The salted caramel sauce was a nice compliment as it added even more moisture to the mild chocolate, molasses & ginger cake. Oh and the pumpkin ice cream made it even more rich! With their interpretation of s'mores with a bed of melted dark chocolate, torched marshmallows and graham cracker crumble on top, they were able to elevate it to another level. We liked it for its simplicity. In conclusion, the meal as a whole was acceptable except for a few duds. Considering the wide range of dishes we sampled, it is impossible for any restaurant to be perfect. Therefore, if you choose the right dishes, Edible Canada is an option on Granville Island.
