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Who doesn't like a good meaty burger? A vegetarian I suppose, but then again, there are meatless burgers. Some are actually quite good, but for Burger Palooza (presented by Vanfoodster), it was all about the meat. I was invited to sample creations from 5 different spots in and around Downtown on a very rainy day in Vancouver. Interestingly, the weather has mostly cooperated with these events so far. I guess Mother Nature is a vegetarian? To help me with the eating, Snake slithered along while Alvin joined us as well.
Our first stop was at Milestones on Robson. We were presented with a Stacked Burger with a mini-version of their Tuna Taco. Consisting of a Prime Rib burger on a Brioche Bun, stacked with smoked meat, bacon strips, button mushrooms, caramelized onions, cheddar and horseradish cream, there was no lack of flavour or textures. Typical of Milestones burgers, the meat was super moist, yet somewhat overprocessed where it lacked meatiness. We then moved onto Kobob Burger where we tried a Mini-Bulgogi Rice Burger with marinated pork and veggies complimented by a slice of Korean pancake and Kimchi. I liked the meat as it was really moist and not overly sweet. The rice bun was a bit difficult to manage, but I found eating the scraps with a fork easier. The kimchi was pretty legit with a good crunch with just enough spiciness.
Over at the Bismarck, we were treated to a Chorizo Prawn Slider consisting of a chorizo patty, tiger prawn, goat cheese, house-pickled onion, iceberg lettuce and paprika aioli on a brioche slider bun. I like this concoction as there was a pleasant spiciness tempered by the cold-water snap of the tiger prawn. The patty itself was moist and went well with the crunchy acidic onions and creamy goat cheese. Continuing on, we had the Famous Cowburger at Yagger's (Alvin had the Chorizo Burger). This was made of an organic beef & pork patty seasoned with chipotle peppers, peppercorn mayo, aged white cheddar and double smoked bacon. I found this burger to be flavourful and meaty. The spice came through while the sharpness of the aged cheddar and smokiness of the bacon added more elements. My only wish was the bacon be crispier.
Our final burger was at Buckstop. It was made with Venison stuffed with blue cheese and mushrooms. Served on the side was house-made potato chips with horseradish aioli. Despite being a lean meat, the venison was moist and juicy benefiting from the blue cheese. Hence, the meat was flavourful from the cheese as well. The chips were a firm crunchy and was amped by the horseradish mayo. We ended off our adventure with Deebee's Teapops at a kiosk setup in front of Whole Foods. I sampled the Minty Mint made with organic mint leaves and freshly-brewed mint and Rooibos herbal tea. It was only slightly minty while not being too sweet - definitely a refreshing end to the meat-filled adventure.
*All food was comped*
The Good:
- Pretty decent eats across the board
- Okay value if tickets are purchased early
The Bad:
- Locations a bit scattered
- Some variety (ie. Vegetarian, yes really) would've been nice
Quick, what is the first thing that comes to mind when I say "Neapolitan-style pizza in Vancouver"? The usual suspects would be Nicli Antica, Farina, Via Tevere, Pizzeria Barbarella, Famoso and even the newly opened Carano. However, what about Novo Pizzeria and Wine Bar? Yah, even Whipping Girl wasn't aware of the place even though it has been around for awhile. Hence, with an invite to revisit the place, I got Whipping Girl to join me in trying some ol' favourites as well as some new ones.
With free reign with the menu, it seemed tempting to order it all, but Whipping Girl and I couldn't challenge the appetite of Mijune, so we kept it reasonable. We started with a favourite of mine being the Sicilian Meatballs accented with currants, pine nuts, reggiano and marinara. These were nicely browned on the outside while soft, moist and slightly loose on the inside. The flavours were well-thought out where the sweetness of the currants, the tartness of the tomato sauce and the saltiness of the cheese provided balance. Next up, we got the Burrata with arugula, oven-dried tomatoes and grilled house-made bread. Since the burrata is imported from Italy, timing is everything since it should be consumed within 48 hours. For us, the cheese was still creamy and buttery, so whatever the case, it was fine.
We also had the Winter Caprese with fior di latte, oven roasted tomatoes, balsamic pearls and pesto. Beautifully plated, there a nice balance of sweet and acidic notes from the tomatoes and balsamic pearls. The addition of EVOO and the pesto afforded extra aromatics. Since the cheese was essentially a blank canvas, these flavours were needed to bring it alive. Apparently, the pizza dough had changed since my last visit. However, the ample leoparding had not - as clearly illustrated in the picture of the DOP Margherita (DOP = Denominazione di Origine Protetta or Protected Designation of Origin). That meant there was a smoky-nuttiness to the properly seasoned crust. Texturally, it was crispy on the outside and underneath all the way nearly to the centre where it was a touch soggy. Generally, a Neapolitan pizza should have a soft centre, but this could've been a little less so. As for the San Marzano tomato sauce, it was good with a nice balance of acidity and sweetness.
Onto some pastas, we had the Ravioli consisting of roasted pecans, gorgonzola pear balsamic cream sauce and prosciutto. Personally, I'm more into savoury items, so I found the dish on the sweeter side. However, the prosciutto did its thing to help balance the out the sweet pear as well as the balsamic. We thought the roasted pecans were a nice touch as it added both texture and another layer of flavour. On the recommendation of our server, we decided to try the Orecchiette with Italian sausage and fennel pollen in a rose sauce rather than plain olive oil like my last visit. Well, she was completely right as the flavours popped. The double dose of fennel added a licorice-Earthiness which blended well with the creaminess. As for the pasta, it was a firm and toothsome.
For dessert, we tried the Sicilian Cannoli first. Made with buffalo ricotta, candied oranges & lemons, pistachios and orange blossom water, the flavours were pleasant with a mild sweetness accented by a muted acidity. The pastry itself was thin and crisp. However, the filling was not smooth enough in our opinion where it was rather gritty. On the other hand, the Toasted Hazelnut Creme Brulee (Frangelico ganache, rosemary and pine nut cookies with orange granita) was the bomb. We could see why it won the recent creme brulee challenge. Aromatic and smooth while purposefully sweet, the custard lay beneath a nicely torched hard top. The granita added a refreshing slant to the dessert. This was a fine end to a good meal at Novo. The 3 common dishes of both visits didn't disappoint.
*All food excluding tips was comped*
The Good:
- Generally solid eats
- Spacious and inviting dining space
The Bad:
- Fairly small menu
- Pizza crust is good, but the bottom could be a bit drier
Ever since I bought my new goalie skates, I've needed to sharpen them more frequently. You see, they have the Bauer Vertexx system where I can push off while in the butterfly position, hence the need for sharper skates (if you care to know...). So, while waiting for that to be done at the Hockey Shop, I figured it was a good time to get some eats (in particular, takeout). Hence, I made the short drive over to Sushi Plus out on University Drive. With only one table, Sushi Plus is purely takeout.
I decided to try the Red Dragon Roll and for a specialty roll, it was not exactly that impressive to look at. I guess the portion size fit the price. It was essentially a dynamite roll with salmon and spicy sauce on top. I found the rice to be rather dry and tasteless, but the roll as a whole was okay. The ample amount of sauce ensured that there was no absence of spice and moisture. Being inexpensive as well, the Chirashi Don featured strangely sliced pieces of fish. Despite this, textures were okay and nothing tasted amiss. However, the rice was terrible. It was dry and mealy while being almost devoid of any vinegar.
Lastly, for $6.95, I wasn't expecting much from the Assorted Tempura. As it turned out, the portion size was plain massive. The batter was a touch thick, but still crispy while a touch doughy inside. This was a meal in itself as there were many pieces of squash and yam. As you can see, the food ain't anything special at Sushi Plus, but for the price, it does the job.
The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Quick for takeout
The Bad:
- Average eats
- Depending what you order, portion size varies
With very little time on our hands and the need to grab a quick bite, I had to find a place that was not reliant on a deep-fryer. Oh, and since it was only my son and I, a salad bar was not in the cards since he would only eat the croutons and shredded cheese. Because we were in and around the South Slope in Burnaby, there wasn't a huge cache of restaurants to choose from (and especially something I hadn't been to before). But tucked in behind the 7-11 on Royal Oak at Rumble was our solution: Asa Sushi.
With interestingly shaped slices, the Appetizer Sashimi was extremely modest in portion size. It was not a big deal to me since I'm not a huge fan of big fat slices of fish anyways. Bigger is not better when it comes to sashimi because the texture is all wrong. Imagine beef carpaccio in thicker slices and you'll get the idea. This one was decent as the salmon was buttery and somewhat sweet. The tuna was okay, but a little bland. Next, I tried the Nigiri consisting of chopped scallop, tamago, toro and unagi. I found the sushi rice to be somewhat dry, but plenty chewy. It was mildly seasoned so it wasn't completely tasteless. I wasn't a huge fan of the tamago as its was too soft and crumbly. The toro was sliced very strangely as well.
For my obligatory roll, I tried the standard Dragon Roll which was essentially a California roll with unagi and avocado on top. Although it was not particularly attractive nor constructed neatly, the huge pieces of unagi was a bonus. I liked how there was minimal rice as opposed to the filling. It could've benefited from more sauce though as there was a lack of flavour with the unagi. Lastly, for my son, I got him the basic Udon with fish cake. Naturally, being primarily a sushi joint, this would not be their specialty. And really, it wasn't that great as the soup resembled more of a shoyu-based broth than a dashi. Otherwise, it was a pretty typical udon found in Vancouver. That would probably best describe Asa Sushi as well - pretty typical in a long list of Japanese joints in the city. I am curious how it competes with nearby Makoto.
The Good:
- Nice enough people
- Okay pricing
The Bad:
- Not particularly neatly made sushi or sliced sashimi
- Average quality
Sometimes, we find that form and function gives way to extravagance and style, much like a convertible in Vancouver (negated by the amount of rain, if you haven't guessed). So it was a bit ironic that we chose The Roof at Black + Blue to honour Gadget Girl, who selflessly organizes our co-rec hockey team year-after-year. Why ironic? Because she is generally quite practical, yet also happens to own a BMW convertible. Maybe that would be a contradiction in itself. Whatever the case, we found ourselves at the swank digs of The Roof @ B+B, which ultimately can be much more style than actual function.
After a slight mix-up with our reservation, where we were seated in the lounge area instead of a table, we squished into a cozy table which was really meant for one less person. I stated off with the crab Louie salad consisting of dungeness crab, romaine, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, eggs, avocado and dressing. This was fairly substantial with a whole segment of romaine topped by an abundance of fluffy crab meat. I found that there was just enough dressing for the amount of ingredients. For my main, I decided to tackle the 24oz Bone-In Rib Eye. I requested for medium-rare and it was more or less prepared in that manner with a few more rare spots near the bone (which is normal). The meat was flavourful on its own with a nice crust on the sides. I was not really all that impressed with the "potato salad" underneath as it was pretty bland with undercooked spuds.
Super Dave and Tutti Frutti decided on the Wild Salmon filet atop a bed of quinoa salad. Both of them remarked that the salmon was slightly overdone where the meat was becoming stiff on the outside. However, in the middle, the meat was flaky and moist. It exhibited only a slight char which didn't add much in terms of smokiness. On the other hand, it was still decently seasoned. Milhouse and Gadget Girl opted for the Beef Tenderloin cooked medium-rare. These were closer to medium though. Despite that, the meat was still moist and tender. It was seasoned mildly while the side of chimmichurri didn't have any significant impact. Much like my sentiments, Milhouse was not really all that enthused about the potato salad either.
Gordo started with a Caesar Salad which was better than what I had originally predicted (hey, it's only a Caesar salad...). The crisp pieces of romaine were dressed properly where it wasn't overly wet. He could taste the individual components such as the garlic and Parm. However, he really didn't like the croutons as they were too hard. For his main, he went for the Surf & Turf consisting of beef tenderloin, lobster and prawns. His request for medium-rare ended up closer to medium, but the meat required very little effort to chew. As for the prawns, they were meaty and natural-tasting. The lobster was done right where it was buttery with a rebound texture.
Emilicious, who incidentally scored us the reservation on the rooftop, opted for the Lamb Chops. She thought they were fairly large and well-seasoned, albeit quite fatty. Similar to my order of food, her fingerling potato salad was a bit too large where she only ended up finishing less than half of it. Speedy Gonzales had the seared Ahi Tuna which appeared and tasted fresh. It was lightly seared evenly all the way around where the centre was still beautifully rare. As such, it was pretty cold temperature wise, including the exterior. Underneath, the quinoa was prepared nicely, however, it was completely soaked in butter.
We ended up getting 4 sides to share including the GRG Fries tossed with garlic, Reggiano and green peppercorn. Due to these ingredients, the fries did taste great with a salty, garlicky-peppery hit. However, the fries themselves were a bit stale in texture (they were not actually stale). So they were not all that crispy and in fact, they were somewhat dense. On the other hand, the signature Glowbal Group Brussel Sprouts with lemon, capers and Parm were on point. Slightly crispy while tender, the sprouts had a balance of acidity and saltiness. As a result of proper frying, there was a nice aroma and nuttiness to the sprouts as well.
Seemingly a simple dish, the Yukon gold Mashed Potatoes were pretty good. Smooth and creamy while loaded with plenty of butter, the potatoes went down easy. Lastly, the Roasted Veggies should've been renamed lots of onions and some mushrooms and peppers. Yes, underneath lay a whack load of onions, which were nicely caramelized, but not something we wanted lots of. Ultimately, our meal was acceptable where the venue was the most impressive feature. However, for the price point, I could see how some people would be somewhat indifferent. Therefore, if you want some swank with your meal, style does rule over function at B+B.
The Good:
- Impressive rooftop
- Food is actually decent (despite all of the negative reviews)
The Bad:
- Decent food, but expensive (is it worth the price?)
- A little too much style for some
Up until the recent past, McDonald's, Wendy's and Burger King have painted the landscape for fast food burgers in the GVRD. In the last decade, we have seen a proliferation of fast food burger joints from the States including Fatburger, Five Guys and more recently Carl's Jr. Personally, I would give my left nut (a la Phil Kessel) for In-N-Out to make an appearance, but due to their strict "no more than a day's drive" to their regional distribution centers, the chances of that happening are as good as an everlasting Kanye West and Kim Kardashian's marriage. However, we now have a location of Mooyah, straight from Texas all-the-way to North Van.
Seeing how my son loves burgers, we decided to hit up the place to check out if it could satiate my In-N-Out cravings for the time being (I'll be in California in July!!!). Viv went for the Mooyah Classic in a combo that included an order of small fries and a drink. She opted for the whole wheat bun (all their buns are freshly-baked in-store) with cheddar and bacon (including a multitude of topping options). The fresh-cut fries were not as crispy as we would've liked, but they weren't bad though. As for myself, I had the Mooyah Double with jack cheese, crispy onions, mushrooms and a host of other toppings. I found the lean burger patty to be on the drier side which also meant it was not greasy either. It did taste very "beefy". The crispy onions added a nice crunch. I found the white bun to be a touch dense, but it did hold up to the ingredients. My side of yam fries were super crispy, yet I wished for some dip to go with it.
For my son, he had the kid's meal with a Cheeseburger, small fries, drink and cookie. The burger was fairly substantial while the order of fries was equal to the small in Viv's combo. He seemed to enjoy his meal as he dusted it off. Compared to all of the other available burger joints in town, Mooyah mostly blends in while still holding its own. Although not particularly juicy, the lean meat did feel healthier (even if it wasn't). The staff did seem quite green, but the manager (or owner) was trying his best to accommodate his customers.
The Good:
- Lots of options (many toppings included)
- Fresh ingredients
- Meat tastes good
The Bad:
- Kinda pricey (but similar to Five Guys and Fatburger)
- Meat is lean, so not particularly moist
My love of poutine is as strong as John Torterella's desire to drop-kick Bob Hartley in the face. I guess now that he has been fired, it will have to be some other venue - possibly a celebrity wrestling match perhaps? I'd pay to see that... Anyways, back on topic... Awhile back, I considered La Belle Patate as possibly the best poutine one could get in the Lower Mainland. Well, after sampling a whole lot of poutines in the last 5 years, it was about time I went back to the well to see if I still felt the same.
Surprisingly, for such a popular place, there are a couple of Entertainment coupons to be had. As such, being the deal-seeking Asians that we are, Viv and I each had a small poutine (2-for-1 baby!). I went for what I consider their best poutine in the Smoked Meat. With tender chunks of buttery soft smoked meat, this poutine gets amped in both flavour and texture. The legit and ample cheese curds were intact and only slightly melted, offering up a squeak on each bite. The crispy and potatoey frites stood up to the silky gravy maintaining its integrity. Viv went for the BBQ Chicken Poutine laced with a only a light dusting of spices. Hence, it was essentially a regular poutine with pieces of relatively moist white chicken chunks.
A few weeks later, I returned by myself and had one of their more substantial poutines in the Meatlovers (medium size). Consisting of beef, pepperoni and bacon, this was a meal in itself. The plethora of meat made the entire thing a bit more salty with a touch of spice from the pepperoni. It exhibited the same qualities as the aforementioned poutines and I gladly ate the whole thing with only a bit of guilt. So how does La Belle Patate compare to such places like the Spud Shak, Belgian Fries and Fritz? I would say it is still definitely up there, yet it would need to do battle with Spud Shak for top billing... Maybe a la Torts vs Hartley?
The Good:
- Crispy frites
- Legit cheese curds
- Not shy with the toppings
The Bad:
- A bit pricey (unless you have a coupon)
- A tad too much gravy (can ask for less)
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