skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Say what you want about Dine Out Vancouver (including my own thoughts), but it remains a popular event which allows diners to experience an array of restaurants on a budget. For 2014, the lineup has grown to a record setting 263 restaurants in the Greater Vancouver Area. From January 17th to February 2nd, there will be prix fixe menus of $18.00, $28.00 and $38.00 offered from some of the hottest spots in town. I was invited to experience the media preview where we got to choose a themed group of 3 restaurants. I went for "posh nosh" which included Pidgin, Oru and West.
Our first stop was Pidgin, which ironically was on my "to eat" list for some time. We were served all the dishes (to share) that are featured on their dine out menu. Starting with the Bitter Green Salad with citrus, raisins and capers; we knew there would be some interesting flavours to follow. As advertised, there were the bitter elements in the frisee and capers (salty too), as well as the grapefruit (which added a tempered sweetness). The well-placed raisins were plump with a contrasting sweetness. Next, we had the Shishito Peppers with Parmesan and pine nuts. This simple dish featured slightly sweet roasted peppers dressed with the aforementioned ingredients. I would've preferred a touch more saltiness, but a nice snack nonetheless.
Moving along, we were served the Parisienne Gnocchi with radishes, radish green pistou and buttermilk ricotta. Although the gnocchi were pillowy soft and light, they managed to retain their integrity. The pistou ate like a pesto (of course without the pine nuts), where it was more in the background. The ricotta was not merely a bystander as it added creaminess. My favourite dish of the bunch was the Mushrooms with snap peas, runny yolk egg and soy yuzu brown butter. The buttery mushrooms in texture and flavour caressed itself all the way down to my stomach. They were expertly prepared while dressed in a rich balanced sauce.
Continuing with the gluttony, we had the "Dan Dan" Rutabaga Noodle Salad with tofu and almonds. At first, I was skeptical of this dish, but it was not bad. The crunchy rutabaga was dressed in just enough sauce for impact. There was definitely savoury and elements, yet lacking in spice. By virtue of being a vegetarian offering, the "meatiness" was provided by the tofu. Another tasty dish was the Albacore Tuna Poke with fried taro, wakame and toasted nori squid ink. I liked the soft, yet not mushy texture of the tuna where it was seasoned with a nice combination of sesame oil, soy and the slightest of spice.
Then we were served the (boasted as best in town - tongue and cheek that is) Fried Chicken Wings with a Korean Gochujang sauce. I thought the wings themselves were prepared nicely being really juicy with a super light crispy batter. They were decently seasoned on their own, but with the addition of the red pepper sauce, there was a sweet spiciness. Can't comment on being best-in-town because the wings are very different than Phnom Penh. The Sake Steamed Clams (with XO sauce, kale and fregola) was another solid offering. The clams were buttery featuring a depth of flavour which was neither too salty, sweet nor spicy. The firm fregola and crunchy kale added body to the dish.
Saving the meat for last, we had the Beef Striploin with black beans and black garlic jus. The well-seasoned striploin was a beautiful medium-rare featuring an appealing sear on the outside. It was sufficiently tender with a meaty texture. I liked how the black beans retained a bite while the jus added a certain sweetness accented by vinegary finish. Surprisingly, the dessert was really good and a refreshing finish to the meal. The Black Sesame Meringues were lightly crisp on the outside and soft & chewy on the inside. However, the combination of kalamansi curd and coconut and lime white chocolate created a flavour explosion of sweet and tart hits. Really good.
Next stop, we headed over the Fairmont Pacific for a visit to Oru. With their DOV menu, there are 3 choices for each course. We sampled everything starting with the 3 appetizers including the Roasted Sunchoke Mocha consisting of a sunchoke veloute, truffled milk foam and morel cocoa powder. The smooth veloute was definitely Earthy with a certain sweetness and depth. I liked how they were conservative with the salt which afforded a more natural flavour. Next, I sampled the Oru Winter Salad consisting of kale, frisee, roasted squash, lime, pumpkin seeds with a chipotle Caesar dressing. There was no absence of crunch to go with the smoothness of the squash. What set this salad apart was the spicy dressing as it livened up the flavours. Lastly and my favourite was the Pork Belly dressed in a pineapple-maple and mustard glaze with lotus poi, baby bak choy and crispy sage. This pork belly was melt-in-my-mouth worthy where the glaze had an immediate impact with a noticeable caramelized sweetness. I particularly liked the light chicharrons on top.
Moving onto the mains, I sampled the Angus Reserve Short Rib first. It was served with guajillo spiced mashed potato, black bean, corn and zucchini succotash and a mole sauce. Although the mole was not as complex as I would've liked, it really didn't matter as the short rib itself moist and fatty without any stringiness. The mash exhibited a smoky flavour while the succotash featured soft, yet still vibrant veggies. Being Asian, I was drawn to the Cape Breton Lobster like a moth to a flame. As pictured, it was a whole broiled lobster with paprika lime butter and a warm brussel sprout and chorizo salad. I found the lobster to be a touch more done than I would've liked it, but it was still good nonetheless with a natural sweetness enhance by the cooking method. The paprika lime butter was not a bystander in this case as it was very apparent. The accompanying brussel sprouts were delicious where they exhibited spicy creaminess accented by the salt of the chorizo. The Vegan Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie rounded out the middle course selections. I didn't mind it as it was bursting with flavour from the mushrooms and pearl onions, but I wasn't a huge fan of the potato (lacking dairy, the best they could do though).
For dessert, I tried the Malted Peanut Butter and Beer Nut Bar first. It consisted of chocolate ganache, peanut butter mousse, salted caramel nuts and malted ice cream. This was not a subtle dessert by any means as the salty and sweet peanut butter hit me in the face with one bite. It was soft and creamy where the nuts added a nice crunch. The lightest option of the bunch was the Strawberry Shortcake Mille Feuille with strawberry compote, sweet puff pastry, diplomat cream and lemon curd. With pillowy soft meeting a light crispiness, there were nice textures at work. Light and creamy with only a touch of sweetness contrasted by tartness, this was my favourite dessert. Lastly, there was an option of Local Cheese consisting of Natural Pastures aged farmhouse cheddar, black pepper ver de lait and Golden Ears Cheeseworks brie with quince mostarda and crisps.
Although stuffed to the max, we made our way to West for our last tasting of the night. We kept remarking to each other that these were #firstworldproblems - too full from good food... Anyways, we got to sample their 3 appetizer options for their dine out menu including the Golden Beet and Orange Soup with bacon panko and tarragon creme fraiche. Despite the thickness of the soup, it was fairly light and refreshing with the appetizing zip of citrus. There was a certain Earthiness there as well as the saltiness from the bacon. I found the Baby Carrot and Watercress Salad (with Agassiz hazelnuts and preserved stone fruit vinaigrette) to be equally refreshing. With a nice level of acidity and the crunch from the carrots, there was both texture and flavour. Next, I tried the Leek Ash Crusted Albacore Tuna with shaved fennel and radish dressed with a sake miso emulsion. This was a rather subtle dish as the delicate tuna was not overwhelmed by any of the other ingredients including the smoky leek ash. I would've liked to seem more of the emulsion for some saltiness though.
The choice of mains included a wonderful Slow Cooked Veal Breast (with roasted cauliflower, pearl couscous and thyme jus). Despite looking like a dense chunk of meat, the veal was fork tender and did not require much effort to chew. It had a rich natural meat flavour accented by the mild jus. The Pacific Provider Wild Pink Salmon was decent albeit slightly dry from the pan sear. I guess it is a catch-22 with pink salmon as it can dry out easily while the crispy sear on the outside was essential. It was accompanied by a Yukon gold potato blini, sunchoke puree, black truffle and parsley marmalade. Combined with all these ingredients there was a mix of Earthiness and sweet hits. The vegetarian option was the Handmade Caramelized Parsnip Agnolotti with braised kale and brown butter apple vinaigrette. I found the pasta to be very al dente (which I personally prefer). Due to the mildness of the ingredients, it wasn't exactly exploding with flavour. However, the brown butter vinaigrette added a nice background richness while the apple sticks on top added some crunch.
The best item we had all night was the Roasted Pineapple on coconut wafers with cream cheese mousse accompanied by a tropical fruit salad. Despite my indifference with desserts, I really liked this one as it was light, creamy, crunchy and naturally sweet from the caramelized pineapples. Moreover, the Citrus Tart was equally refreshing with a spiced whole wheat crust and vanilla raspberry swirl ice cream. I found the texture of the tart to be a cross between a pannacotta and a mouse. It had some zip and mild sweetness. Lastly, the Malted Chocolate Cake benefited from crispy layers which added a nice crunch to the soft semi-sweet cake. It was accented by caramelized banana and sesame snaps. Impressive... That is the one word that could accurately describe the items we tried on this DOV preview. As much as I am not a fan of DOV personally, I can say this much - for the restaurants I tried, they really have seemed to up the ante for DOV 2014. You really can't lose with these $38.00 menus.
*Note - this was an invited dinner where all food was comped
Ever since Mijune has become famous, it has been increasingly difficult to track her down. Either she is super busy or she just wants to ignore me - I really hope it's the former. Well, to my relief (at least I hope so!), she is indeed swamped with her travels and responsibilities. After another late night hockey game at Richmond Ice, I was able to meet up with her for some late night drinks and a bit of food as well at Leisure Tea & Coffee (with an emphasis on "a bit of food" as the menu is quite limited).
I requested that my Mango Slush be minimally sweet and they came through with just the right amount of sugar. The slush itself was super smooth and almost creamy. Whether or not the mango was fresh or not, it really didn't matter as the slush emanated a real ripe mango taste. I particularly liked the aromatic finish. Mijune had the Black Sesame Slush and it was aromatic in its own right. They managed to get the right amount of sweetness here as well. As much as it was good, we would've liked to see more sesame hit. As for more sweets, we had the Caramel Shaved Ice featuring a creme caramel on top. It was actually not bad with a rice silkiness (and no bubbles, an indication it was cooked properly). More eggy than creamy, it was mildly sweet with a slight caramel finish. The condensed milk and caramel sauce mixture was super sweet, hence, we had to ask for more shaved ice.
As for the limited amount of food on the menu, I decided to try the Club Sandwich consisting of fried egg, ham, cucumber, tomato and mayo. This was so-so as the bread was not as soft as I would've liked. Furthermore, the crust wasn't consistently removed on the outside. The ingredients were fine though, especially the egg, where it wasn't overdone. I also got the Combo Platter consisting of fried crispy spicy chicken, fried tofu and fried fish cake. This arrived glistening with oil. Not sure if the temperature was not hot enough, but each item was greasy and soaked. Hence, the chicken wasn't all that crispy. It was moist and juicy though with a moderate amount of spice. On the other hand, the tofu was plenty crunchy. As for the fish cake, it was fine except afflicted with oil.
Lastly, we shared the Taiwanese Sausage (yes, insert joke here) and it was sweet and had a nice chewy texture. The exterior was fried up nicely where it had a snap. Okay, as you can clearly see, food is not the emphasis here. Hence, the name - Leisure Tea & Coffee. However, nothing was offensive and service was good. Therefore, it offers up an option for late night drinks with a side of whatever to munch on.
The Good:
- Friendly servers (at least that is what we got)
- Drinks are blended well
- Calm, comfortable environment
The Bad:
- Food is not the focus here
- Things came out a bit slow
It's not often that my kids get jacked up about food, especially my son. Apparently, our visit to Yolk's food cart left a lasting impression. He really enjoyed the perfectly poached eggs while my daughter hijacked the whole skewer of truffle-lemon potatoes. So it was a forgone conclusion that we would be paying their new restaurant (in the former location of Brave Bull's) a visit for some breaky. Costanza and Elaine, being the ever willing eaters, met up with us.
With only minimal renovations and a paint job to match their food cart, don't expect ambiance nor attractive washrooms. Instead, it is all about the food. With that, I went for their special being the Braised Short Rib with onion rings and Stilton. I also added a side of their Lemon-Truffle Potatoes on the side (which added another $3.50 to the $12.50 price tag). As much as the short rib could've been a bit more moist, it was a large meaty slice. With their trademark runny poached free-range egg and crunchy toasted English muffin, it was a lot more filling than it looked. Like last time, the generous amount of truffle oil and lemon juice ensured the potatoes would be super-flavourful. My son decided on the Buttermilk Pancakes with double-smoked bacon. Unfortunately, these were dense and a bit of a chore to eat. However, the crispy bacon was a nice distraction.
Viv and Elaine both tried the Breakfast "Muffins" consisting of 3 buttery baked bread shells. From right to left, we had the Croque Monsieur, Croque Madame and Spinach, Mushroom & Goat Cheese. These were pretty good with a crunchy and buttery shell with yummy ingredients inside. Strangely, I happened to like the vegetarian one the best as there was the gaminess of the goat cheese to go along with the rich Hollandaise. Costanza ended up with the Chicken & Waffles which looked a whole lot bigger than the food cart version. He seemed to enjoy it as much as I did as the waffles were good to go along with the ample crunchy panko-crusted chicken.
Lastly, we shared an order of the Beignets with salted caramel dip. These were crispy on the outside and relatively airy on the inside. Loved the dip as it was nicely amped by the salt. Of note, the food took nearly 40 minutes to arrive - possibly they needed to bake the "muffins"? Whatever the case, it would've been nice to be informed that our food was coming. As you can ascertain, we had no problem with the food though (just as good as the cart). However, the prices are on the higher side considering the location and decor of the restaurant. With that being said, the quality and execution was there.
The Good:
- Interesting food
- It's tasty
- Friendly people
The Bad:
- On the pricier side
- Wait for food was too long
- Washrooms need some renos
Rising from the ashes of the North Delta location of Sammy J Peppers comes another Indian Restaurant. Like Richmond needs more Chinese restaurants and luxury SUVs, Pinch of Spice joins a roster full of Indian restaurants along Scott Road. To be fair, not many of them sport trendy decor and ambiance, except for Tasty Bistro down a few blocks. Now flash and dash is one thing, the question is the food any good? Joining me to see for ourselves was Mr. Talkative.
Hitting the table first was a complimentary basket of Papadums with cilantro chutney. These were crispy and when dipped into the chutney, we were treated to a cool brightness. For our first dish, we had the Crispy Prawn which was not served with a sweet chili sauce as described on the menu. Whatever, we dipped it into the cilantro chutney instead. Each piece was pretty crunchy and plenty flavourful with a pinch of spice (ironic I know...). However, they were fried too long as the meat was rubbery and chewy.
Naturally, we had to try the Butter Chicken and it was pretty good. This version rode the fine balance between tomatoey and creamy. There was no denying the richness of the dish, yet there was just enough tomato paste in there to provide a counterbalance of tartness. The default spice level was mild while not being completely wimpy either. Although the chicken was sufficiently moist, it could've been more so. Next, the Lamb Curry was pretty rich and full of depth. With a nice consistency and noticeable spice (still mild though), there was no absence of punch. The chunks of lamb were super moist.
Lastly, we had the Mutton Rogan Josh (even though it was in the goat section) and this was probably our favourite. There was a good hit of spice including ginger and onions. It was also quite rich and fatty. As for the Naan, they were chewy and had a good elasticity while the underside was crispy and blistering. In reference to the accompanying picture, the Naan was pretty decent as it was blistered and plenty crispy on the bottom while soft and chewy inside. As much as the service was pretty green, the food was more than acceptable. Pinch of Spice offers up credible competition to the trendy Tasty Bistro up the street.
The Good:
- Decent eats
- Modern decor (old Sammy J's)
- Friendly people
The Bad:
- Service is still a bit green and slow
- More expensive than most other Indian restaurants around
*Restaurant is closed*
I'm sure you've heard about Fresh Local Wild - a popular food truck usually located on the corner of Burrard and Pender in Downtown Vancouver. If not, Google it and you'll find that Guy Fieri has graced them with his presence. With that kind of notoriety, it comes as no surprise that Chef Josh Wolfe opened up a B&M location in Yaletown. Replacing the mediocre BBQues, Good Wolfe Kitchen & Bar offers up reasonably-priced fare amongst pricier establishments.
Viv, myself, Elaine and Costanza decided to hit up the place to see for ourselves. We started with the Squid with lemon, pepper, chili, ginger, green onion and fresh piquant. Light and crispy, the batter encased tender pieces of squid which still exhibited a bite. There was no absence of seasoning with a slight spice and plenty of acidity from the lemon. Next, we tried the Steelhead Pastrami accented with house maple mustard, chervil and caraway seeds. Whatever it lacked in quantity, the overall execution made up for it in spades. Think lox except made with trout and a richer flavour. In this case, there was just enough salt which was nicely contrasted by the mustard. The texture was buttery soft without being mushy.
Continuing on, we had the Artichoke Dip consisting of marinated chokes, kale crisps, chevril and Philly bechamel. Underneath the obstruction, aka kale crisps, was a creamy concoction that was somewhat gamy. We figured they used goat cheese in the dip. It was seasoned just enough while the aforementioned kale crisps were good, but there was just too much of it (making it hard to get to the dip. We didn't like the bread as it was far too dry and hard. Lastly, we shared the Terrine and Steak Tartare which was a significant portion with a generous cut of terrine along with tartare and speck. We found the terrine to be mild and firm in texture with bits of foie. As for the tartare, it was mostly tender with some chew. The bits of onion provided both crunch and zing. We found the flavours to be balanced until the end where it finished with some spice.
Onto the mains, I decided to go for the mainstay being the Fish & Chips. The fish was light and moist with a thin, crispy batter. The modest side of fries were somewhat crisp and plenty salty. I would've liked to see them more crunchy considering the dark hue. The accompanying tartar sauce was smooth with the crunch of pickles which added the necessary acidity. Costanza went for the 1lb Mussels Pasta consisting of fresh pasta, garlic, basil and white wine cream. The best part of this dish was the mussels as they were plump, buttery and all open. Despite the nicely al dente pasta, it wasn't blessed with a lot of flavour since the sauce was far too thin. It was mostly bland except for some mild hits of garlic.
Viv opted for the Braised Beef Cheek which was expertly prepared. It rested on country-style risotto with natural jus. The ample portion of beef cheek was gelatinous and fork tender. There was a naturalness to the flavour, but we would've preferred a touch of salt anyways. We found the risotto to be creamy, yet a touch overdone. The natural jus was exactly as advertised as we could really taste the meatiness with a touch of red wine. The best dish of all was the Coq au Vin with bacon, spatzle, little veggies and Gewürztraminer. The Cornish game hen was beautifully executed where the meat was really moist while the skin was nicely rendered and crispy. The sauce was creamy and only lightly kissed by the Gewürztraminer. The side of spatzle was dense and buttery while really crispy on the outside.
For dessert, we had the Lemon Cake with rosemary sugar, lavender and whipped cream. If we ignored the actual cake itself, the dessert was fresh, tart and aromatic. The lavender and zest were both impactful components. However, the cake was taken straight from the fridge where it did not have time to warm up. Hence, it was too dense. We gave it some time and at the end, it wasn't bad. Lastly, we tried the "Apple Crisp" which was elevated by the use of fried bread pudding accompanied by bits of apple and small dollops of ice cream. This was freakin' fantastic as the bread cubes were crunchy and moist. Add in the tartness and crunch of the apples and the sweetness of the ice cream, this dessert had it all. Overall, we enjoyed our meal at Good Wolfe, especially considering the reasonable pricing. Definitely a place that is worth checking out.
The Good:
- Well-priced
- Decent portions
- Above-average food
The Bad:
- Flavours are a bit mild, more seasoning wouldn't hurt
There are times when I get asked why my pictures of restaurants do not match the time of day when I visited them. Simple answer - I went back to take that picture because it was either too dark or I merely forgot. Yes, I am that crazy and committed. So when I pulled into the parking lot to get an exterior shot of Ming Kee on Canada Way, I looked over to Viva Sue Pizza. Boy, I haven't been back in so long. Last time, I was suffering from the stomach flu and decided that since things were going out anyways, I should eat as bad as possible (that included McD's and Beard Papa!).
So that one thing that I remembered about Viva Sue's pizzas is the generous amount of cheese on top. I got a small Pepperoni Pizza for the kiddies and if I hadn't told you what was in it, one could easily mistaken it for a cheese pizza. Underneath the thick layer of surprisingly non-greasy cheese was large slices of pepperoni which hid the tomato sauce. Yes, their pizzas are hearty! The crust was more bread-like, which I didn't mind. A bit tart, slightly sweet and somewhat zesty, the tomato sauce took its position in the background. I got a medium Ham & Pineapple for myself and Viv and it was just as cheesy with large slices of ham. Pretty typical, but again, with lots of cheese.
For good measure, I added a Baked Lasagna with garlic bread. And you guessed it, with lots of cheese on top. Naturally, the lasagna was the typical "take-out pizza joint" style (without Ricotta nor cottage cheese), but it was okay. The noodles were not overdone while the sauce was plenty meaty. Despite over 4 years between visits, Viva Sue was exactly I remembered it - a very cheesy experience.
The Good:
- Lotsa cheese
- Lotsa toppings
- Nice people
The Bad:
- Unless you mind it, the pizza is heavy and can be greasy
- Awkward location to get in and out of
Posts
