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To be frank, I have a love hate relationship with Earl's. In its infancy, I would frequent the place and be pretty pleased with the food. However, as the prices climbed, my interest waned. I've been back a few times in the past year and the food has been fine, but it was mostly the same. Yet, it looks like change is in the works and with the addition of brunch, there might be a little love to be found somewhere. I was invited along with Diana and Caroline to sample this new menu at the North Vancouver location.
We started with the Granola & Yogurt Parfait consisting of flax seeds, rolled oats, dried cranberries, sultanas, toasted almonds and pecans, fresh berries and thick Greek yogurt. This was a simple, yet effective light day-starter. I liked the mild sweetness (where there was a side of honey, if you wanted more sugar) and the light crunch that went well with the thick plain yogurt. Next up was the Eggs Benny with Virginia ham, Hollandaise atop grilled sourdough accompanied by fried smash potatoes. I loved the potatoes as they were creamy soft with a super crispy exterior. As you can see in the picture, the poached eggs were nicely runny while there was no shortage of ham. At first, I was concerned with the saltiness of the Virginia ham, but it wasn't overwhelming. However, the sourdough was too strong for the dish as it masked the light lemony Hollandaise.
Onto our next dish, we had the Eggs Florentine with Parmesan cream sauce, spinach, mushrooms, polenta and grilled sourdough. This was my favourite as it combined the creaminess of the polenta with the earthiness of the crimini and oyster mushrooms as well as the saltiness of the Parm. Despite the addition of runny poached eggs, the dish didn't feel heavy. I found the crunchy sourdough to be the appropriate side as it added texture and a jolt of flavour to the otherwise mild concoction. Lastly, we tried the Sourdough French Toast with Chantilly cream, berry purree, pure maple syrup and whipped butter. Everything about this plate was bang on except for the choice of bread. I thought the strong sourdough competed with the other flavours and ultimately didn't work. As you can probably ascertain, we were pleasantly surprised at Earl's brunch offerings. However, the overuse of sourdough may have compromised the overall enjoyment.
*All food and drinks excluding gratuities were comped*
The Good:
- Props for being a bit different with their own spin on dishes
- The fried smashed potatoes are really good
The Bad:
- Overuse of sourdough compromised flavours
Some parts of the lower mainland get no attention in culinary terms. Generally, it would be the 'burbs and specifically, the little enclaves such as Tsawwassen. With such a relatively isolated community (separated from everywhere else by a bunch of farms), the restaurants mainly serve the locals. But for me, that just means I need to make the effort to go out there. And that reason this time was to meet up with Bubbly, who calls Tsawwassen her home. We met up at a lil' place called Bistro Peekaboo.
Normally, I do not take pictures of Miso Soup since it is much like complimentary bread - it's only there by default. However, I quite enjoyed this one because it wasn't super salty. Rather, there was a depth and richness to it which was further enhanced by seaweed and purposeful cubes of tofu. Next, I got the Sashimi portion of my bento box. The slices of tuna and salmon were of smaller in size, but not lacking in quality. There was a fresh sheen and fresh smell (as much as frozen can get). Textures were on point as well as the natural sweetness.
Onto the box itself, there was the usual sides in addition to Tempura, Chicken Katsu and California Roll. I found the tempura to be crispy and light with a touch of grease. The ebi was buttery with some snap. As for the katsu, it was crunchy while still moist inside. The light drizzle of sauce ensured it stayed crispy and being light in flavour. The California roll was decent with chewy, sticky rice. It was rather bland though. Bubbly had a similar meal except with Beef Teriyaki. This was also well-executed with moist and tender beef with just enough sauce. Although the prices are on the higher side, it was somewhat of a surprise that I would find a Japanese-run restaurant (preparing good eats) tucked away in one of the many strip malls in Tsawwassen.
The Good:
- Carefully prepared eats
- Really friendly people
The Bad:
- Expensive
- Hard to find
Whenever the words "Brown's Social House" are muttered, I usually shiver in disapproval. Hey, compared to the other popular chain restaurants in town, Brown's is not usually at the top of the list. My initial visit was not particularly impressive, but given that was 5 years ago, I decided it was time to give them another chance. So after a crushing loss (a la Canuck-style) in our Friday night league game, the hockey team paid a late-night visit to the Brentwood Brown's.
I started with the Biltmore Pizza consisting of pesto, feta, shrimp, sundried tomato and jalapeno white sauce. With large jumbo shrimp and a generous drizzle of pesto, the pizza looked appetizing. And it really was since the flavours were abundant and pronounced. There were big hits of garlic and spiciness that went well with the crunchy shrimp. However, it was on the saltier side and the crust was far too doughy (in need of more colour too). Next, I had the Crispy Halibut Street Tacos with a side of gaucamole. These were not bad featuring moist halibut with a very crunchy batter. I would've personally liked less batter, but that would be nitpicking. In terms of texture, I thought the tacos were on point, but the accompanying pico de gallo was a bit one-dimensional (being mildly tangy). Moreover, the gaucamole could've used more acidity.
Emilicious and Gadget Girl shared 2 items beginning with the Tahitian Tuna Salad with lemongrass crusted albacore tuna, wasabi mayo and cilantro ginger vinaigrette. Of note, the picture represents only half-an-order since they split the salad. They thought it was decent since there was an array of textures from the lettuce to the wonton crisps. The vinaigrette had a nice acidity while the mayo worked with the nicely rare tuna. They also shared the #28 Dragon Bowl consisting of teriyaki chicken, coconut rice, veggies, red cabbage and spicy yogurt. I was able to try this dish and it was more ingredients than rice. As such, there was no absence of textures and flavours. However, that also meant there was a bit too much flavour as it was quite sweet and saucy. With that being said, the rice was not wet while the chicken was sufficiently moist.
Lionel Hutz had the obligatory burger with the Hickory Burger with smoked bacon, cheddar and BBQ sauce. He thought the patty retained enough moisture to escape being dry. Furthermore, the ingredient and sauce helped matters. On the other hand, the bun got a bit wet due to this where it could've benefited from more toasting. He remarked that the flavours were mild and it could've used more smokiness. Milhouse continued the theme with the Almost Famous Blackened Fish Burger consisting of Pacific halibut, crisp coleslaw and chef's dressing. The fish itself was thick and cooked just right being flaky and moist. However, he didn't really get any of the flavours associated with blackened fish. Rather, he remarked it was bland where even the coleslaw and dressing didn't add much impact.
Gordo and Sweet Tooth decided to share a Crispy Calamari before dessert. I found this to be somewhat inconsistent as parts were crunchy while other pieces were a little soft. As for the squid itself, it on the chewier side. It was only mildly seasoned which worked since there was dipping sauce anyways. I wasn't really impressed with the marinara sauce as it didn't go in my opinion, but the Cajun tartar sauce was not bad as it was creamy with a touch of spice. They ended up with both the House Made Key Lime Pie and Chocolate Pecan Pie for dessert. As much as the filling was tart and creamy, the crust on the key lime pie was far too thick. Hence it was not easy to eat nor was it balanced with the amount of filling. The chocolate pecan pie was not bad as the baked crust was thin and firm. The filling was on the sweeter side and I would've liked to see even more chocolate.
And since no one ordered any of the Hand Cut Double Cooked Fries, I had to get a side of it. These were decent as they were crispy while still potatoey inside. They had the classic fresh cut feel to them. Overall, this visit to Brown's was better than the last time for me personally. Yet, that isn't really saying a lot. The food has some redeeming qualities, but almost everything had a deficiency of some sort. Hence, that is where it lags behind the others such as Cactus Club and Earl's, especially when their prices are almost the same as well as the theme and decor.
The Good:
- Service we got was pretty solid
- Fun, lively atmosphere
The Bad:
- Kinda pricey
- Food is okay, but behind the rest of the competition
"Have you heard of the Dirty Burger?", queried Sean. "No", I replied. "Okay, have you been to Upstairs @ Campagnolo???", asked Sean. "Uh... No...", as I gave a perplexed look. Yes, I was more confused than a Corolla in a traffic circle. I guess I've been a little out-of-touch lately, but to be fair, I'm busy with other things... Like watching the Canucks. Wait, they're not in the playoffs. Okay, then I have lots of time to catch up then! Anyways, I ended up meeting up with Sean to check out this mysterious place atop Campagnolo.
Arriving at opening, we got the pick of the limited amount of tables. Of course we snagged one of the only window seats as the rest of the place was pretty dark. In addition to the full Campagnolo menu, a few exclusive items were available. Being a bar, we started with some beers and an order of the 18-Month Dry Aged Ham served with bread. The fatty ham had a soft prosciutto quality to it while being much less salty. For some of the thicker slices, there was a bit of effort to chew while the thinner ones were buttery and went well with our beverages.
Next up was one of their daily features being the Fried Chicken Skin drizzled with honey, house-made hot sauce and garnished with blue cheese. Rather than some of the other versions that only feature a very light dusting of flour, these were full-on battered with a crunchy coating. Hence, there was more body, seasoning and texture. The hot sauce had a real kick that amped up in stages while the honey and blue cheese helped bring it back down. We shared a side of their Kennebec Fries which were in an attractive shade of deep fried. I particularly liked how they were still very much potatoey inside while the outside was easy on the greasy and crispy.
Onto the Dirty Burger, it looked actually quite clean and simple. Consisting of a house-made 45-day dry-aged beef patty fried with onions topped by lettuce, tomato, pickle, American cheese and secret sauce (looks like mayo, ketchup, mustard and paprika and seasonings), it is the reincarnation of the one served at Refuel. All of this was served on a butter-fried bun. You know how most burgers are a study in how moist and soft everything is? Well, this one was an exercise in crispy and crunchy, including the patty. The sinfully butter-soaked bun (known as a Scotch Bap) was super crunchy and nutty tasting. That gave way to crisp lettuce, crunchy pickles and a patty that had a noticeably charred exterior. The one thing that really came through was the purposeful amount of onions. Definitely an interesting and different burger. Other than a few small bar snack items, this was essentially the whole menu which is a reflection of the place - simple and to the point.
The Good:
- Simple with no useless frills
- If Campagnolo is busy, you can get the full menu here
The Bad:
- Health food this is not, far from it
- Limited seating which means it will get pretty full like downstairs
Invites to any tastings outside the city of Vancouver proper can be a bit dicey. First, there is the travel aspect where gas ain't exactly cheap. Second, to get someone to actually join me for such a food adventure can be challenging. Before I can even get the words "Surrey or Langely" out of my mouth, the phone line goes dead or I get don't get a text reply. Where's the love for the 'burbs??? Fortunately, Sexy Mexi was all game since she actually lives out there. With new ownership and chef, we visited Sabatino's for a South Surrey tasting.
Arriving at the table first was an amuse bouche (Gamberi Napoli) which was a tiger prawn flambeed in Pernod with garlic, grape tomato, onion and basil. The prawn exhibited a meaty, buttery snap with some chew. For the amount of ingredients, the flavours were surprisingly muted as I could only get hints of basil and garlic. This probably could've done with more salt and a touch of acidity. Next up was the Barbabietola Arrosto consisting of roasted beets, goat cheese, roasted walnuts and spinach with dill vinaigrette. For me, I really got the goat cheese in every bite. The beets were tender and sweet while the dressing was a bit too greasy. I know this might be nit-picking, but the plating could've been neater on this one.
Moving onto the pastas, we got sample sizes of the Spaghetti Carbonara and Ravioli Aragosta. Comprised of prosciutto, free-run egg yolk and Grana Padano, the carbonara was not lacking in flavour. In fact, with so much crispy prosciutto, it was bordering on salty. As much as the sauce enveloped each strand of spaghetti, there could've been more of it as it took on elements of greasiness rather than creamy. In a complete contrast, the ravioli consisting of lobster and crab in a tomato basilico was fresh, tart and acidic. In fact, the plethora of firm onions helped masked the flavours of the delicate crab and lobster. The ravioli itself was pretty good with soft (while not overdone) pasta encasing a fluffy, sweet centre.
With the mains, Sexy Mexi and I shared both the Brasato al Valpolicella and Duo d'Anatra. For the brasato or Two Rivers beef short rib with red wine jus, it was masterfully braised. The meat was gelatinous, moist and melted in my mouth. It had a natural meaty flavour accented by the fat, but as much as I could sense the Chianti braising liquid, there was a lack of seasoning. As for the mash and veggies, they were on point. Despite the light colour, the duck leg confit was prepared nicely. Underneath the crisp skin was fall-off-the-bone moist duck meat. As for the pan-roasted duck breast, the skin could've been rendered more, yet the meat itself was sufficiently tender. It was accompanied by a cherry demi glace which was not as sweet as it looked.
For dessert, I sampled the Tiramisu first and it was light & fluffy. It was only semi-sweet with a mild coffee taste. In fact, I got much more chocolate than coffee. Next, the Frangelico & Chocolate Cheesecake was rich and smooth. Without a complete reliance on sugar, there was huge flavour from the Frangelico (hazelnut liquor) without a huge alcoholic aftertaste. The biscotto crust was crumbly and nice compliment to the dense cake. Overall, the meal had its hit and misses. The mains and dessert were pretty good while the pastas could've used some tweaks. Furthermore, some of the seasoning could've also been more aggressive.
*All food, drinks and gratuities were comped*
The Good:
- Proteins done nicely
- The cocktails we had were good
- Spacious dining space
The Bad:
- Some seasoning issues
- Some flavours out-of-balance
There is always one constant in life - change. Yes, I do realize the contradiction, but really, things do not remain the same, no matter how hard we try. Hence, restaurants suffer the same challenges due to a variety of reasons (including changes in staff, ownership, menu and so on). That is why I've been doing quite a few revisits, in particular, to restaurants that I haven't been to in 5 years. This time around, I revisited one of my first awful experiences in the life of the blog - Nordel Sushi. The food was less-than-acceptable, even for an AYCE. Keep in mind, I have tried the a la carte menu on several other occasions and it was pretty average.
Once again, I tried the AYCE lunch menu for $16.00 ($22.00 for lunch). If this price raises some eyebrows, it should since many other places charge closer to $12.00. However, there are a few items such as sashimi and ebi tempura that somewhat justifies the cost. Furthermore, with no competition nearby, they can get away with those prices. On that note, the Sashimi (limited to 6pcs a person) was acceptable (unlike last time where they were chopped into Chiclets-sized pieces). I found it a bit on the softer side though. As for the aforementioned Ebi Tempura, it was cripsy despite the fact that the batter was flat (missing enough baking soda?). The Beef Yakisoba was okay as well with chewy noodles and enough seasoning that had a nice zip. Light and crispy, the Agedashi Tofu could've benefited from some grated daikon.
With the appies, I found the Miso Soup to be typical, but at the very least, it was not salty. I didn't mind the Spinach Gomae since the pieces were tender while still being vibrant in colour. Although the dressing looked to be candy sweet, it really wasn't. Instead, it did have a discernible sesame essence with the typical sweetness. I found the Ebi Sunomono to be strange as the noodles were the super thin variety. Hence, the texture was more rice noodle chewy rather than slippery bite from the thicker kind. It did taste okay though with a good balance. Moving onto some cooked items, I was not a huge fan of Chicken Teriyaki as the meat was firm and dry with far too much syrupy sauce. The Beef Teriyaki was slightly better as it was somewhat moist and tender. The Fried Gyoza were decent with a crispy exterior encasing a good mix of pork and veg.
Similar to the sashimi, the Nigiri was also acceptable. It was neatly prepared with a decent ingredient-to-rice ratio. As for the rice itself, it was on the drier side with only a mild amount of seasoning. In terms of the Maki Sushi (California Roll, Dynamite Roll, Tuna and Salmon), it was neatly constructed and once again, acceptable (especially for an AYCE). As evidenced in the picture, there was a good ingredient-to-rice ratio. Well, this return visit to Nordel Sushi pretty much exemplified change for the better. Now, I'm not trying to say the food was anything to write home about, rather, it was far better than the last time. Considering it was AYCE and in an area where there is no competition, it does the trick.
The Good:
- Despite what others have said, I've never had bad service here
- Acceptable for AYCE
- Okay pricing for a la carte
The Bad:
- Pricey AYCE
- Limited choices
- a la carte menu is pretty average
Way back in time... Well, maybe not that long, makes me feel old... Anyways, sometime in the past, I would join my friends and do the breakfast thing at De Dutch Pannekoek House. I reminisce about the times that Chill would call me up last minute to head out for some pannekoeks on Sundays. Ah, the life without kids, so much freedom and pure randomness. Well, I hadn't been back De Dutch in 5 years and much like my other recent posts, it was time to revisit and evaluate.
For myself, I went for their Eggs Amsterdam with ham and edam. Rather than English muffins, they used a very crispy toast called a Dutch rusk that was a nice textural contrast. The eggs were not exactly poached, but they were still runny though. I found the Hollandaise rather mild with no lemon zing nor anything butteriness. Rather, it was just creamy. Mrs. Spray Bottle decided to have the Hash on top of a pannekoek. It was savoury and topped with Hollandaise sauce. Since it wasn't very flavourful, the whole thing was very mild. As for the pannekoek, it was thin and slightly crisp on the outside while soft and chewy on the inside.
Tomcat had the DeBakon and Eggs and it was prepared nicely. The eggs were fluffy while the bacon was slightly crispy along the edges while not dried out. The dish was completed with squishy hashbrowns, toast and fresh fruit. Potty Mouth had the sweet tooth and chose the Pannekoek with strawberries and cream. No different than Mrs. Spray Bottle's other than the addition of chocolate sprinkles and strawberries in sauce, this was a dessert breakfast. Well, this was a pretty predictable breaky at De Dutch as with all of my other previous visits. I guess the draw of De Dutch would be their slightly different take on breakfast as well as their pannekoeks. However, it comes at a price and a relatively high price that is...
The Good:
- Something different
- Decent eats
The Bad:
- Expensive
- Different, but not necessarily outstanding either
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