Thai Chef Casual Thai Cuisine

Awhile back, there was this pretty good Persian restaurant on North Road, right beside Pho Japolo.  Big D, Slick and I enjoyed a filling meal on the cheap and vowed to return.  Well, it closed before we could do that.  Maybe Persian food doesn't work along North Road?  Seems like all the Korean restaurants do quite well...  Now in its place, there is Thai Chef Casual Thai Cuisine.  Maybe Asian food might do better?  We were about to find out...

Starting off the meal (lunch special), we were all presented with a Spring Roll with a side salad.  The spring roll was served piping hot and crunchy.  Inside, it was stuffed with vermicelli and cabbage.  The textures were on point while the flavours were peppery and spiked with fish sauce. Judging from the aroma and visuals, we were pretty sure there was no ketchup used in the Pad Thai.  However, the overuse of palm sugar emulated a "ketchup-type" feel as the rice noodles were very saucy and syrupy sweet.  Hence, it totally overwhelmed the flavours of the other ingredients (pressed tofu, pickled turnip, peanuts and sprouts).

We also went for a couple of curries including the Chicken Green Curry.  This was a creamy and very mild concoction which was also the afflicted with too much palm sugar.  Hence, the curry was quite sweet which overshadowed any spice or the pungency of shrimp paste.  I did get the basil and a considerable amount of bamboo shoot essence though.  Continuing on the same theme, the Beef Red Curry was sweet as well.  Hence, it was not really all that spicy, yet the bamboo shoot really came through.  The ingredients had vibrancy and texture while the beef was mostly tender.  Judging by the dishes we had, the food at Thai Chef was decent, yet we would've preferred that they were more conservative with the palm sugar.

The Good:
- Reasonably-priced
- Nice people
- Seems authentic

The Bad:
- Too much palm sugar

La Regalade

*Restaurant is now closed*

3 years ago almost to the day, Darina, Whipping Girl and myself had a great meal at La Regalade.  The large country-style offerings were both filling and delicious.  We vowed to eat there again soon.  Well, Darina and Whipping Girl each went back while I didn't actually return due to a variety of reasons (including the price!).  Well, with a Travelzoo voucher, it was finally the time.  Ironically, Whipping Girl and Darina joined me again for this food adventure.  Choobee was added to the mix despite her dislike of driving anywhere beyond a 10-block radius of her house.

Not surprisingly, our usual favourites were still on the menu, however, the appies were a bit different.  Whipping Girl pushed for the Salade Regalade with prawns, calamari and bacon.  Well, it was essentially a warm salad with a savoury mix of bacon and seafood atop romaine lettuce.  I though the flavours were almost zesty, yet in need of more acidity.  The seafood was on point with the calamari being tender while the shrimp exhibited a meaty snap.  Another Whipping Girl request was the Steamed Mussels in a white wine, onion and light cream broth.  Personally, I thought there was far too much onion where it was the dominant flavour.  On the other hand, it provided a wealth of natural sweetness.  The mussels themselves were buttery and plump.

Onto the next set of appies, we had the Foie Gras Terrine served with crostini and fig compote.  The slice of terrine was buttery and smooth in a non-livery fashion.  It was well seasoned where the fig compote provided the necessary sweet contrast.  We could've used more bread though.  Next, we tried the classic Escargots en Crouton.  The plethora of butter, garlic and herbs ensured the crunchy crouton would be soaked in greasy goodness and flavour.  Definitely a sinfully tasty treat which was enjoyed by all.  The snails underneath were soft while maintaining a chew where the buttery goodness was nicely accented by sweet tomatoes.

Onto the mains, we had some eerily similar dishes as last time.  Beginning with the Roasted Duck with Sauteed Fruit, it looked appreciably smaller.  Despite that, it was still not a "small" dish by any stretch of our imagination.  The duck itself was the beneficiary of a well charred and rendered skin which was smoky and crisp.  However, the duck meat was on the drier side.  It did have a natural duck gaminess which was accented nicely by the sweet fruit.  Yet another repeat dish, we had the Beef Short Rib in Peppercorn Sauce.  We thought the sauce was money being sinfully creamy and peppery.  We actually put the sauce on other proteins in our meal.  As for the short rib, it was rich and super moist.  The fattiness of the meat combined with the sauce resulted in a heavy combination.

Another familiar item was the Prime Rib with shallots, garlic confit and wedge potatoes.  This was expertly prepared as it was a beautiful medium-rare (closer to rare, which is how we like it) with a nice exterior crust. As a result, the meat was super tender, flavourful and texturally contrasting. The accompanying "demi-glace" (it was too oily to be a demi-glace) was rustic and full of red wine flavour.  The acidity really complimented the fatty meat.  We tried something new this time in the Beouf Bourguignon.  The large chunky pieces of meat were somewhat dry and fatty.  There was a richness and depth to the dish which was comforting and filling.  I would've liked the red wine to be more pronounced though.  All the dishes came with a side of Gratin Dauphinois (like scalloped potatoes) which was super creamy and rich.

We were pretty full at this point and had to pack quite a few leftovers.  However, our coupons included dessert for each of us.  Hence, we had no choice but to get them (I'm sure this was not a problem for Whipping Girl as she was salivating). We started with the Lemon Tart.  With a very light custard (rather than curd), it was creamy and smooth.  I found it tart and pretty sweet.  It wasn't heavy at all except for the firm tart shell (which we liked). On the other hand, we universally didn't like the Sea Salt Creme Caramel.  It was far too sweet due to the overuse of salted caramel.  It completely overwhelmed the egg custard and the whole thing just became a chore to eat.  We didn't touch it after the first few spoonfuls. 

We also had the Apple Tart Tatin that featured large slices of tender apples (which were not mushy nor that sweet).  I found the tart crust to be on the softer side, mainly because of the ample amount of apple. Furthermore, the apples themselves were not very caramelized.  This was decent, yet unremarkable.  Saving the best for last, the Monaco Tart was definitely memorable.  The combination of almonds, marscapone, chocolate and caramel was harmonious and purposeful.  It was not as sweet as the ingredients suggested and the textures were complimentary.  We all agreed that the meal was pretty good in general (with a few exceptions).  But the prices are quite high and are comparable to Downtown establishments.  Yes, rent in West Van is not cheap and neither are the ingredients.  Depending on what you order, it could very well be worth the price though.

The Good:
- Generally good country-style French food with exceptions
- Decent portions
- Above-average service

The Bad:
- Expensive
- Some dishes are definitely better than others
- Tight seating

Bel Cafe

*Restaurant is now closed*

Viv and I are bad parents.  No, we're not letting the kids drive nor have we offered them anything illegal.  Rather, we have failed to teach them any Cantonese despite the fact we are fluent.  Hence, we have resorted to sending them to Chinese school.  Paying someone else solves everything!  Er...  So, with over 2 hours of nothing to do as our kids learn how to order Dim Sum in Chinese (yay!), we decided to get something to eat at Bel Cafe in the Hotel Georgia.

As we weren't overly hungry, we decided to share some items including the Roasted Tomato Soup.  With an immediate and purposeful blast of acidity, the soup was appetizing, delicately thick and not devoid of impact.  Every spoonful yielded hints of basil and the natural sweetness of the roasted tomato. Cute little cheddar gougères accompanied the soup on the side.  Completing the soup & sandwich, we had the House Smoked Turkey with brussel sprout remoulade, cranberry and gruyere.  We liked how the bread was super crunchy and light.  Good thing too as the remoulade was extremely wet and dripped profusely with every bite.  Despite this, the brussel sprouts provided a wonderful crunch to the sandwich while offering up the necessary acidity.  Naturally, the cranberries added sweetness while the gruyere exhibited a creamy nuttiness.  Of note, even with all the ingredients, we could really taste the smoked turkey.

As for some pastries, we started with the Vanilla and Winter Berry Brioche.  This was a little dry, but not incredibly.  I found the fruit to be quite sparse, hence it was really just vanilla-flavoured brioche.  This was a pleasant, if not unremarkable, accompaniment for my green tea.  Next, we ended up sharing the Raspberry Pear Tart since the people beside us ordered the last lemon tart.  I think it worked out quite well because we could hear them complaining it was too sour.  As for our pear tart, we thought it was quite good.  The hard tart shell with chocolate and raspberry encased a slightly dry and semi-sweet frangipane filling.  It was topped with nicely textured slices of pear (not too soft) with a light gelatine glaze.  The flavours were subtle and worked well with each other

Upon leaving, I grabbed some Macarons including dark chocolate, key lime pie, carrot cake, passion fruit and strawberry & lemon.  These passed the test as my daughter loved them (she knows her macarons!).  The exterior were lightly crisp while the inside was soft, possibly needing a bit more chewiness.  I liked how the flavours were unmistakable and purposeful.  What I didn't like was the imperfections in half of the macarons.  2 of which had significant dents which were prior to baking.  Since these were for ourselves, it wasn't a huge deal.  However, if this was a gift for someone else, the imperfections would be unacceptable.

The Good:
- Carefully prepared eats
- Decent macarons

The Bad:
- Expensive
- Not the most comfortable seating

Wang Ga Ma

For some reason or another, Big D and I have not gone on any North Road Korean food adventures of late.  It seemed like we have eaten at nearly all of the available restaurants, however, there are some left.  Well, in actuality, most of the ones we have not visited are rated somewhat low on Urbanspoon.  Yet, like anything, we really need to see for ourselves.  Well, Big D had already been to Wang Ga Ma and it was not rated that low, so we decided to go there for some eats.

We were started off with a large plate of Kimchi which was a bit strange tasting.  It wasn't bad per se, yet it was on the sweeter side with lots of white onion.  There was a nice texture and colour though while the turnip was especially crunchy.  According to Big D, this was a departure from the usual.  Inconsistency perhaps?  We ended up with a small portion of the Stewed Pork Belly accompanied by blanched Napa cabbage and more kimchi turnip.  As with Korean BBQ, the trick is the take some cabbage, pork and kimchi, then add the bean paste, pepper and fermented shrimp.  This was good as the pork was moist and tender where the fat was gelatinous.

As mentioned, one of the condiments was Fermented Shrimp.  This was a nice seafoody and salty flavouring for the pork belly. Lastly, we had the Beef Rib Soup which was well-seasoned and full of short rib and noodles. I liked how it was full of meaty taste without the need to add salt.  The big pieces of meat were soft and didn't require much effort to eat.  For the price, I felt that there was good value.  We didn't have a shortage of food and we only had 2 dishes!  Sure, the service was a bit spotty, but I'd consider coming back.

The Good:
- Not expensive
- Good portions
- Decent eats

The Bad:
- Spotty service
- Could be tidier
- That H-Mart parking lot

Toby's North Shore

*Restaurant is closed*

"Another chain restaurant???", exclaimed Emilicious when I suggested Toby's in North Van.  Hey, call it a combination of curiousity and convenience since it was literally only 5 minutes from the ice rink.  Imagine that, eating in North Van, when we play hockey in North Van.  Novel concept.  Okay, back to the chain restaurant comment.  It is true that there are much better choices, but sometimes, for a larger group and variety of food, chain restaurants serve a purpose.  With that in mind, we went in with lowered expectations.

Another reason we picked the place was its proximity to the Arc'Teryx sale.  While some were shopping, we headed to Toby's first.  Being the hungry people we are, Milhouse and I got some Crispy Dry Ribs to tide us over.  Unfortunately, it took nearly 30 minutes to arrive. Anyways, these were indeed crispy and dry - possibly a touch too dry.  They were lightly dusted with salt & cracked pepper. It was served with some sort of sweet and sour sauce. As for our other eats, we shared 4 plates with Emilicious and Lionel Hutz. We started with the Celtic Mussels in garlic white wine cream sauce.  Although every mussel was open, the meat was not buttery (more meaty firm).  As for the sauce, it was definitely creamy and flavourful, but too much salt was used.

Next up, we had the Guinness Pot Pie (since it was pie day!).  Sadly, it was not really a pot pie (with an actual pie crust) as it was mostly a stew with a piece of puff pastry on top.  With that being said, the stew consisting of braised beef, Guinness gravy, onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms and peas was thick and rich, however, it was also quite salty.  Served on the side was 2 scoops of garlic and kale mashed potatoes.  I liked the crispy kale chips as they provided a nice crunch to the soft chunky mash.  Continuing on the same theme, we had the Guinness Cheese Burger with a lamb and beef patty, lettuce, tomato, onions and Guinness cheddar & mustard on brioche.  The meaty patty was naturally flavourful and not overly dry.  The Guinness came through in the cheddar, but the brioche was stone cold.  As for the fries, half were crispy while the other half were soggy.  But, they were not bad in general.

We had another pub favourite with the Bangers and Mash.  Served with the same tasty garlic and kale mash, this dish looked promising.  The sausages were meaty and firm with a considerable fried exterior.  They were very mild, which was a good thing because the thick gravy was extremely salty.  Furthermore, it had a pre-packaged aftertaste.  I'm not implying this was packaged gravy, but it sure tasted like it. Sweet Tooth ended up with something called Toby's Pub Grub.  In actuality, it was a pulled BBQ pork sammie with onion and chipotle mayo on brioche.  She thought the meat was moist enough and there was sufficient sweet BBQ sauce.  However, the cold brioche didn't enhance the eating experience.  Despite being cold, she liked the bun as it held up and wasn't overly dry.

Gadget Girl and Gordo decided on desserts only beginning with the Toby's Baileys Cheesecake. As much as it didn't look all that impressive (despite the attempts to dress it up), it was flavourful without being overly sweet.  The texture was on point as well being smooth, yet still firm all the way through.  Also, it wasn't dried out anywhere on the exterior.  As for Toby's Apple Crisp, it was not as good.  The crisp was soggy while the flavours were pretty bland.  Furthermore, it wasn't piping hot, which meant it was more of an apple-granola mix with ice cream on top. Lastly, Sweet Tooth couldn't resist and had to get the Sticky Toffee Pudding with ice cream.  This was predictably heavy and super-sweet.  Underneath the plethora of sweetness, the cake was moist and a bit wet.  It had a deep sugariness that made the entire dessert difficult for one person to eat.  Not to say it wasn't good though. Ultimately, Emilicious predicted the outcome of our meal at Toby's.  It was okay for pub food and especially after a hockey game.  Hence, reasonable expectations are imperative.

The Good:
- Comfy, spacious seating
- Decent service

The Bad:
- Overly salty food
- Okay for after-the-game, but not those seeking great eats

CRAFT Beer Market

Remember Fogg n' Sudds?  Yes, the place that offered up the largest selection of beers in the city at one point in time.  I remember the "Tower of Power" and the silly escapades afterwards.  Well those days are long gone.  Welcome the new king in town - CRAFT Beer Market (from Alberta).  Boasting over 100 beers on tap, it occupies the beautifully renovated Salt Building down near the old Olympic Village.  We decided to hit up the place after hockey with Mijune (as always dressed up to the nines) joining us.

Obviously, in a place that serves over 100 beers on tap, I had to get in on the action.  Our server suggested I try the Chimay Red and she was on the money.  This went down really smooth with an appealing malt finish.  I can see this going with something delicate such as seafood or a salad.  But honestly, a salad?  We didn't have such food set onto our table.  Instead, we decided to share a few items beginning with the Hawaiian Tuna Poke with a side of togarashi mayo.  It consisted of Ocean Wise sashimi-grade tuna, cucumber, fresh ginger, garlic and sesame soya vinaigrette served with crispy wontons.  We found the tuna to have a nice texture (soft with some chew) while being dressed just enough for flavour without being overpowered.  However, the pieces could've been diced up smaller for easier handling with the wonton chips.

Next up we tried the Salt & Pepper Wings which were either crispy or soggy dependent on which piece.  Some of the mid-wing sections had skin which was not even fried properly, possibly from overcrowding in the deep-fryer. There was a good amount of salt and pepper for effect, however, the meat was rather dry.  We gave Prosciutto Arugula Flat Bread a go too.  Consisting of thinly sliced prosciutto, Grana Padano, fresh arugula tossed with lemon and extra virgin olive oil, this was not devoid of ingredients.  So much so, the middle portion became rather soft.  With that being said, it was still decent with lots of savouriness combined with the pepperiness of the arugula.

Last, but not least, we tried the 20 Napkin Burger.  This monstrosity was constructed with two 8oz burgers, 4oz brisket, crispy bacon and beer infused cheese topped by a mini burger.  As much as this was impressive to look at, the meat was rather moisture-deficient.  It was meaty in flavour though while the crispy bacon, cheese and produce helped the cause.  What didn't help was the dry brioche bun, it could've been a touch softer.  The side of fries were decent with a slight crispiness and a proper touch of salt.  Judging from the items we did try, the food is basically the accompaniment to the impressive beers on tap.  Hence, CRAFT Beer Market does exactly what its name implies - offering up an impressive selection of beers.

The Good:
- Holy beer selection Batman!
- Gorgeous place
- Friendly, if not over-stretched servers

The Bad:
- Food plays second fiddle to the beers
- Our server was great, but due to being on the second floor, she was overworked