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It's the same deal every year - Costanza treats me to a birthday dinner and vice-versa. So this time, we went back to the well of sorts. We decided to try out Adesso Bistro situated on the former location of L'altro Buca which ironically was where we had Costanza's bday dinner a few years ago. After circling the neighbourhood for what seemed like an eternity (much like a Miley Cyrus music video), I decided to go for their $7.00 valet parking. Pretty reasonable if you ask me since meter parking ain't cheap either.
We decided to share some appies as a table with the Vitello Tonnato arriving first. It consisted of thinly sliced chilled veal, tuna mayonnaise, crispy shallots and caper berries. With a nice "doneness", the veal was sufficiently moist. At first, I thought the dish was under-seasoned, but the combination of the smooth mayo, crispy aromatic shallots and most importantly, the salty and tart caper berries, there was a nice marriage of flavours. Next up was the Insalata di Carciofi consisting of crispy artichokes, romaine hearts, mixed leaves, cherry tomatoes and aged sherry vinaigrette. Lightly crispy, the artichokes were minimally greasy being delicately tender. What really hit our senses was the sherry vinaigrette as there was an appetizing acidity.
Next up was the Fritto Misto di Mare featuring crisp fried seafood, vegetables, lemon and parsley. For $12.00, we felt it was a good value. Moreover, the execution was almost flawless where the seafood was cooked just enough while exhibiting a light crispy batter. However, even with a squeeze of the lemon wedge, the dish could've stood for more seasoning. Our last appie was the Pizza Margherita made with tomato sauce, bocconcini, and fresh herbs. Well, by virtue of not being a Neapolitan pizzeria, this was acceptable. Naturally, there wasn't a whole lot of leoparding while the centre was a bit underdone. With all that being said, it was okay with a fresh-tasting tomato sauce and plenty of basil.
Onto the mains, Costanza had the Ragu di Cinghiale or tagliatelle with wild boar ragu, preserved lemon and crisp capers. We all agreed that this was a very well-executed pasta dish. It consisted of truly al dente tagliatelle with meaty and rich boar ragu (which was not overly wet nor salty) combined with the zip from the capers and tomato sauce. Elaine went for the Spaghettini con Frutti di Mare made with a light tomato sauce, prawns, clams and mussels. Due to the thin pasta, it was softer than the tagliatelle, but was far from soft. We could really taste the olive oil in the tomato sauce as well as what we figured was chili oil since there was a background spice. We thought the seafood was on point as well.
Viv decided on the Filetto di Maiale consisting of pork loin, pine nut, raisin, roasted garlic stuffing, Swiss chard, potato, roasted tomato and salsa verde. For such a thick piece of pork, they did a masterful job where it was moist and tender. With the combination of ingredients, there was this herbaceous sweet and aromatic thing going on. I thought the use of sundried tomatoes combined with the salsa verde added the necessary acidity as well. For myself, I had the classic Osso Buco di Vitello or veal osso buco, mushroom braising sauce and roasted tomato polenta. Although the veal was fork tender, I thought the meat could've been more moist. However, I guess that was what the ample amount of natural and woodsy tasting sauce was meant to do. I would've preferred a touch more salt, but that didn't make or break the dish.
For dessert, we shared the Tiramisu (coffee and marsala soaked sponge cake,
mascarpone mousse) and Limone (lemon and pistacchio semifreddo,
raspberry pate, fresh berries). After all the delicious food we had, the desserts fell short. We found the tiramisu dry with only minor hints of coffee and marsala. We did like the mascarpone though as it was rich and light at the same time (yes, go figure). As for the limone, we thought it was far too dense and wet. It didn't even resemble a semifreddo. We did like the sweet lemon while the tartness of the raspberry pate balanced the flavours out. Ignoring the desserts for a moment, the rest of the meal was very well-executed with only minor issues. Considering the price point, Adesso Bistro deserves many return visits.
The Good:
- Reasonably-priced
- Above average food
- Warm service
The Bad:
- The desserts we had didn't work for us
- Could use a bit more salt sometimes, but that can be easily rectified
- Go for the valet, you won't find parking
Chinese food here, there and everywhere - that would probably describe the Richmond food scene in a nutshell. Illegal car maneuvers here, there and everywhere as well, but that is another story. So imagine my surprise when Choobee asked me to meet her for lunch at Smokehouse Sandwich Company. Yes, this place probably sounds like something that would be located on Main Street or Commerical Drive, yet it is located in Richmond.
Having visited the place several times already, Choobee took over the ordering. We ended up sharing 4 sandwiches (yes, we pulled a Mijune) as well as some crisps. We gave their signature sammie a try first being the Samson consisting of coffee crushed, strawberry glazed beef brisket with butter leaf lettuce, red bell peppers and aioli. I liked the sweet, smoky bark that was an appealing chewy texture. The crunch of the sweet peppers combined with the aioli added the necessary moisture. However, the sammie could've used even bolder flavours. Next, we tried the Wilbur consisting of cumin spiced pulled pork with coleslaw. For me, I found the pork far too dry and stringy. It was smoky though and the cumin was unmistakable. I did like the crunch from the mild coleslaw though.
Heading onto our 3rd sammie, we had the Sarah made up of tamarind chicken with Asian slaw, sesame ginger oil and aioli. As much as there was tamarind, the dominant flavours were sesame and ginger as well as the garlicky aioli. Combined with the tart slaw, this was obviously Asian-tasting. I would've liked to see much more tamarind zip. Lastly, we had the Jackie consisting of a sweet pork & 5-spice sausage with pickle Asian slaw & aioli. Once though the nice snap of the casing, the meat was moist and somewhat chunky. Naturally, it was sweet with the kick of 5-spice, in particular the star anise and fennel. I liked this "sandwich" but there could've been something more such as arugula or watercress to add some peppery-bitterness to counteract the sweetness. Of note, all of their sandwiches features Cobs bread.
As mentioned, we had a side of Crisps as well. These razor-thin potatoes slices were super airy and as the name states - crispy. These were a good compliment to the sandwiches. And about those sammies, they were generally pretty good. One thing we would've liked to see was more bold flavours. Also, the portion size was somewhat small as we dusted off the 4 sammies with relative ease (basically 2 per person). Otherwise, Smokehouse Sandwich Co. is a nice departure from the regular in Richmond.
The Good:
- It's not Asian food in Richmond
- Interesting combos
- Nice people
The Bad:
- Could use bolder flavours
- Could be slightly larger in size
Boy, I haven't had eats with Vandelay for a very long time. Seems like he is always busy with the kids. Wait, why am I not busy? Hmm... Viv better not be reading this! Anyways, we decided to meet up at The Railway Club for some barley sandwiches. As I attempted to take a picture of the front, it appeared that I would have to stand right in the bike lane to get a wide enough shot. Finally, the bike lane was put to good use!
We decided to share 2 items starting with the Rueben accompanied by a Creamy Vegetable Soup. The sandwich was pretty typical with corned beef, melted cheese and sauerkraut. The exterior was crispy while the meat inside was on the drier side. I felt the whole thing could've used more meat, yet the inclusion of hot mustard really amped the flavours. As for the soup, it was more watery than creamy, but there was a decent amount of veggies. Flavourwise, it was pretty mild.
Our second item was the Derailer Burger with a house-made patty, blue cheese, bacon and the usual stuff on a soft bun. I liked how the bun was moist and airy, but they "stabilized" it by placing the burger in a sandwich press for a touch. The patty itself was not juicy, yet was not too dry either. The burger was saucy and messy. Love the Cajun Wedges as they were crunchy with a touch of spice. Although far from great food, the stuff we had at the Railway Club filled our tummies without offending.
The Good:
- Relatively inexpensive
- Acceptable food given the venue
The Bad:
- Yes, it's got some history, but the interior looks dated
- Strange quasi-counter service that isn't really apparent unless you ask
"You gotta try these Choy Yok Bao (Pork & Veggie Bun)", exclaimed my mom with much enthusiasm. I nodded to acknowledge her, but I'm not a huge fan of big buns filled with meat (wait, that doesn't sound right...). She kept bugging me and I never got around to trying them. Well Viv did and she thought they were not bad. So while I was in Chinatown, I ended up visiting Sun Fresh Bakery myself to get some meaty buns...
So what's this fuss about the Pork & Veggie Bun (Napa cabbage in this case) anyways? There was a lineup where everyone seemed to be ordering it. I got some fresh from the steamer and boy were they massive. For $1.25, one could get full from just one (or maybe two if you're hungry). Although I liked the soft fluffy bun, the filling was very greasy. It made the inside overly moist and soggy. Naturally, this meant the meat filling was super moist and flavourful with mildy crunchy bits of cabbage. Since I couldn't just buy one item, I got some Dai Bao, literally translated as "big bun" as well. I liked this one more as the filling was more lean consisting of ham, egg yolk, green onion and pork.
For the heck of it, I also got the Pineapple Bun (no pineapples in it, just looks like one). I found the dough to be on the denser drier side, which I wasn't fond of. The topping was crispy and sweet though. Lastly, we tried the Taro Root Pudding which was a total disappointment. It was dense with hard chunks of taro (where it should be soft). It was also rather bland as well. As much as there is hype surrounding the Pork & Veggie Bun, I found it only average and very greasy. I guess the low price and large portion size makes it a steal. For me, I'll just stick with the Dai Bao and even with that, I'd get the one from New Town instead.
The Good:
- Large steamed buns
- Cheap
- Friendly people
The Bad:
- Their signature bun is too greasy
- Pastry dough is too dense IMO
- Taro pudding not very good
Way back in 2009, I was invited to my very first media dinner at Irashai Grill (now Aki Japanese). That is where I met Joyce of Vanfoodies (an under-rated blog in my opinion) for the first time. From then on, we had seen each other at various events but to never actually sit down and have a meal together. With a pending invite to try the Taiwanese tasting menu at Mosaic, the time had finally arrived. And yes, Mosaic again... Hey, it hasn't let me down before, so it was really a no-brainier.
The menu was inspired by Chef Heinrich's recent visit to Taiwan. We started with the Fish Ball with Scallion & Pork Dust "Soup". This featured fish balls made of ling cod, scallop, ground pork and ginger with dried shrimp & porcini puree. I found the overly ample amount of broth to be on the saltier side with a definite ginger hit. The puree smeared on one side of the bowl was aromatic and Earthy which added another layer of flavour. As for the fish balls, I found them a bit softer than I would've liked but that was a result
of the chosen ingredients. I could really taste the natural sweetness as well as more hints of ginger. I thought the wine pairing of the Gray Monk Riesling as a necessity where the sweetness brought balance. Next up was the Hakka Tea Crusted Line Caught Ling Cod with ginger peanut mochi, green onion puree and lemon vinegar fluid gel. This was an overall balanced dish that resembled Japanese more than Taiwanese. As Joyce remarked, the crust was more matcha-tasting than anything else. I found the fish to be flaky and moist with a nice crisp exterior. When combined with all of the ingredients, there was a little of everything including the necessary acidity from the gel.
My favourite dish of the night had to be the 5-Spiced Braised Pork Belly with daikon, baby leeks and fried lotus root chips. I found the pork belly to be expertly prepared as the meat was moist while the fat exhibited a gelatinous texture (which was pleasant to eat). The reduced braising liquid was silky and full of flavour. Naturally, with the use of 5-spice, the licorice and cinnamon flavours really came through which was a nice compliment to the belly. Finally, we had a Taiwanese classic being the Pineapple Cake with kiwi puree and pineapple
chip. There was supposed to be a scoop of sesame ice cream, but it was served before being plated. I thought they did a good job with the cake as the exterior was crumbly and buttery. As for the inside, the pineapple was not overly sweet and had a nice candied texture. Interesting, both Joyce and I thought the kiwi puree was the beneficiary of some plum (since it was so sweet and tangy), but it was only kiwi. Overall, I thought Chef Heinrich did a pretty good job with the Taiwanese-inspired menu as 3 out of the 4 dishes were on the money.
*Note - this was an invited dinner where all food was comped except for gratuities
The Good:
- Once again, it is nice to see something different (especially from a hotel restaurant)
- Nicely executed proteins
- With wine pairings for $65.00, it remains a good value
The Bad:
- The broth was a bit salty for my tastes
- For the authenticity police, it might call for an arrest, but this menu was inspired by Taiwanese food (not supposed to be Taiwanese food)
Once upon a time, I believed Sea Harbour Restaurant had the very best Dim Sum in the GVRD. So much so, I put it in my recommendations page. However, that was 5 years ago and at a location that is now long gone. Since they have relocated to the River Rock Casino, I thought it was a good idea to do a revisit to see how things are going. It was nice to see that they had free parking, but a bit annoying that we had to go all the way up to the top of the parkade.
Surprisingly, we got our reservation within 5 minutes of arriving. That was no minor feat as most Chinese restaurant reservations are nothing but a suggestion. Presented with a broccoli floret (much like the last time) in the middle, the Haw Gow wrapper was a touch thick yet otherwise chewy and not wet. We found the filling to be sweet with a good hit of sesame oil, however, there was only a minor snap texture. As for the Sui Mai, they were sweet and moist. The pork had a bouncy texture while the shrimp exhibited a meatiness (rather than a buttery snap).
In honour of Masterchef Canada (still not sure of that show), we got an order of the Fried Smelt (well, not really, but it is a good segue...). These were lightly crisp while not even a little bit greasy. I would've liked them fried a touch longer. These were wok-tossed in some chili spice which was surprisingly muted. Hence, they were bland and in need of some salt. We ended up with a larger dish being the Fook Chow Fried Rice. This was a well-made dish consisting of moist and chewy fried rice with a well-balanced sauce on top. As clearly illustrated, there was a bevy of seafood, mushrooms and gai lan stalks which were all properly cooked.
Moving on, we had the Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll where the shrimp was meaty exhibiting mild natural flavours. There wasn't a whole lot of seasoning going on, but that was the sweetened soy's job. As for the rice noodle itself, it was really thin and translucent. It was toothsome while still being relatively soft. My son had no interest in the dish, rather opting for the Salty Donut Rice Noodle Roll. Although the donut was crispy (even wrapped with the rice noodle), it was a bit dense and chewy. With the same thin rice noodle, pork floss, dried shrimp and only a spattering of green onion, we thought it was pretty good as whole.
Next, we had the obligatory offal dish being the Tendon & Tripe. And no, my kids didn't want any part of it. Are they really mine? Viv? Anyways, both the tendon and tripe were pretty soft with not much chew left. There was only a slight spice to go with the predominantly sweet seasoning. The Black Bean Spareribs were aesthetically-pleasing and really, they were good to eat too. The meaty rib pieces had a nice bouncy chew while being porky in flavour with some sweetness (very little garlic though). Interestingly, there was little flavour coming from the black beans and green & red peppers.
Another dish my kids don't touch is the Phoenix Talons aka chicken feet. Well, it was for the best anyways because there were too many issues. First, the skin was leathery and tough. Second, the cartilage underneath was crunchy. Lastly, since they used red fermented bean curd (and lots of it), the whole thing was very salty. On the other hand, the kids attacked the Shrimp Shrimp Rolls like there was no tomorrow. These were served hot and crunchy, yet that was the only good thing about them. The sparse shrimp filling mixed with flowering chives was overcooked. Therefore, not only was there a lack of snap, the shrimp was slightly tough.
Lastly,we had the Steamed Sponge Cake for dessert. We found it slightly dense where it could've been softer and looser (maybe more lard? There was rich sweetness from the brown sugar which was just right. During the meal, I logged into my account on my Galaxy and proceeded to remove Sea Harbour from my top 3 list. No, it wasn't that the food was terrible, but it wasn't impressive as a whole either. For the price they charge and considering their reputation, we expected better.
The Good:
- Nice dining space
- Decent service
- Free parking (albeit way up at the top)
The Bad:
- Food is decent, but doesn't justify the price
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