Shi-Art Chinese Cuisine

With all the activities in my life, the game of golf has seemed to taken a back seat.  Hey, I wasn't that great at it to begin with, but with only one round per year, let's just say the only good thing about golf is the eats afterwards.  So after our round of golf in Richmond, we headed over to Shi-Art Chinese Cuisine for Dim Sum (despite its poor 56% rating on Urbanspoon).  Why there you might ask?  Well, it was more about convenience than anything else.  There was at least a chance we'd find parking and table...

To start things off, we had the "healthiest" dish of the bunch being the Pea Shoots with bean curd skin.  Although they were prepared properly, I found the pea shoots to be a bit old and stringy.  The big pieces of bean curd skin were good with a slight chew.  The broth was flavourful enough to help impact the ingredients and the addition of shiitake didn't hurt either.  Arriving in different shades of brown, the Phoenix Talons (Steamed Chicken Feet) were also inconsistent.  The lighter coloured claws were soft and had a fatty texture while the darker ones had skin which was drier and chewier.  Underneath, the cartilage was a bit crunchy in all of them.  The dish was well-seasoned though with the flavours trending towards sweet.

Whenever there are more than 4, yet less than 8 people sharing Dim Sum, it means inevitably there will be an uneven amount of dumplings.  Hence, we ended up with 2 steamers of Haw Gow.  These were a fair size with a slightly thick skin which was a bit chewy.  The filling was a mixture of shrimp pieces and mousse where it was moist with only a mild snap.  It was mild-tasting with some sweetness and hint of sesame oil.  Luckily, the Mini-Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaves) came in groups of 3 which meant 2 steamers worked out perfectly.  Inside the lotus leaves, the glutinous rice was nicely textured being chewy while moist.  The filling was impactful with plenty of seasoning that featured possibly a bit too much salt and interestingly a sesame oil aroma.

Onto some fried stuff (yay fried stuff!), we had the Deep Fried Taro Dumplings with a Portuguese-style sauce shrimp and pork filling. Despite the golden brown exterior, these were not very good.  The filling was dry and mealy where it could've used much more sauce.  Furthermore, the sauce itself has no impact whatsoever.  I couldn't get any of coconut milk nor curry hints.  Strangely cut by our server, the Deep Fried Shrimp Spring Rolls were crunchy and hot.  As you can see in the picture, in addition to the diagonal cut from the kitchen, the rolls were further scissored into little nubs a the ends.  Boy, did some people at the table get short-changed!  As for the filling, it was similar to the haw gow where there was a mousse mixture that was moist with only a bit of snap.

Served with a purposeful amount of sauce, the Pan Fried Stuffed Eggplant were a bit oil-soaked (albeit still not too mushy).  Not sure why they put "pan-fried" in the description as these were obviously deep-fried.  The shrimp mousse filling was completely overcooked where the texture was rubbery and lacking moisture.  The aforementioned sauce was not just an accessory (as it sometimes can be) because there was a nice saltiness.  We ended up with 3 different types of rice noodle rolls.  Our first one was the Beef Rice Noodle Roll that interestingly featured pea shoots.  Unfortunately, due to the stringiness of the pea shoots, the firm texture interfered with the soft beef.  Other than that, the rice noodle was medium-thickness being soft with a bit of elasticity.

Without any unnecessary additions (such as the pea shoots in previous dish) taking away from the main ingredient, the Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll was more typical.  Well, there was the light smattering of flowering chives, but that only provided aromatics.  With a light snap, the whole shrimp were well-seasoned and good on their own.  However, the rice noodle was thicker here which meant a good amount of soy was needed for both flavour and moisture.  As for the Salty Donut Rice Noodle Roll, it was pretty "meh".  The donut itself was refried which meant it was too crunchy where the inside was no longer exhibiting the counterbalancing chewiness.  Furthermore, the donut was greasy as a result.

Moving onto some seafood, in particular fish, we had the Pan Fried Smelt with spicy salt.  Again, these were deep fried, not pan fried as in the description.  The smelt were full of roe (as per the Chinese name) and were crispy on the outside.  They were not dried out retaining a nice moist texture.  As for the spicy salt, it was not very impactful as it was neither spicy nor salty.  Next, we had the Steamed Fish Collars in black bean chili sauce.  Depending on which piece, the taste ranged from mild sweet fishiness to outright 5-alarm hot (when you got a pepper).  Being the collar, the fattiness of the flesh meant the fish was moist and buttery.  But for those afraid of bones, they should best steer clear.

Of course we couldn't get out of there without having the "partner dish" of the haw gow - Sui Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumpling).  But for some reason, Gordo never had it before (and he is Chinese???).  Anyways, these were very mediocre as the meat was more chewy than bouncy.  Furthermore, the taste was one-note being "porky".  There needed to be more shiitake and shrimp in the mix.  Equally disappointing was the Steamed Pork Spareribs. The textures were inconsistent as some were chewy and others were too soft.  Mirroring the previous dish, the meat was "porky" without a good hit of garlic or enough seasoning.  The one positive was that all the pieces were mostly meaty (with no fat and cartilage).

Cue the ball jokes as the Beef Meatballs arrived next.  When you get 6 guys together with varying levels of maturity (heck, we have none), we were too busy making ball jokes rather than eating.  When we did get to the balls, they were slightly bouncy and airy.  The mix of water chestnuts and green onions was just enough for both flavour and texture.  We added one last dish which was the Soy-Fried Noodles.  This dish cost a whopping $16.80!  Not only was it overly expensive, it wasn't very good either.  The noodles were a tad undercooked being too dry and chewy.  Furthermore, the caramelization of the soy was incomplete, hence the flavours were flat.  Not only were we shocked at the pricing in general, they actually charged us for water.  Yes, you read it right.  We didn't have tea because we were thirsty after golf.  But they still charged us for water on the bill totalling $7.50.  So I get the 56% rating now...  Service wasn't as bad as people have stated, but the food was "meh" and the price...

The Good:
- Some dishes were okay
- Not sure about others, but we got good service

The Bad:
- Cramped seating
- Overpriced for what you get

Araxi Long Table Dinner

I'm sure most of you have heard about the farm-to-table craze where restaurants  source their food predominantly from local suppliers.  However, what if they did the reverse and brought the table-to-the-farm?  That's what I was fortunate enough to experience with Araxi's Long Table Dinner in Pemberton. Held at North Arm Farm (which incidentally supplies Araxi as well) right smack dab in the middle of their scenic field with Mount Currie in the background, it was the perfect day to enjoy a meal prepared by Executive Chef James Walt and his Araxi team as well as guest chef from Quail's Gate, Roger Sleiman.

Upon entering the farm, we were greeted with a cocktail reception featuring Quails' Gate Estate Chenin Blanc 2013 and Pemberton Distillery Vodka Cocktail.  Hor d'oeuvres included RR Ranch Beef Tartare with sweet peppers, Sundried Tomatoes with buffalo mozzarella and Dungeness crab & smoked salmon in egg crepe. After some picture-taking and enjoying the scenery, I was seated along with 149 other guests at the long table.  The meal was to be served family style where we would share each course.  Well, they didn't skimp on the portion size as the platters were humungous. Our first course consisted of North Arm Farm Squash Blossoms stuffed with Saltspring Island Moonstruck cow's milk cheese, chanterelle mushrooms, tomatoes, green beans and sweet corn.  These were large, almost overstuffed blossoms which were crispy and light.  The thin layer of bread crumbs gave way to a mild-tasting cheese with a slight sharpness.  However, the real star of the plate was the super-fresh sweet corn that was a pleasure to eat texturally with a juicy pop.  

Majestically plated, the Hot Smoked Haida Gwaii Chinook Salmon was outstanding.  With a light grill on the outside, the flesh was appealingly rare where it was buttery soft while still flaky.  There was a light smoke with a touch of salt and fennel seed that didn't overwhelm the natural sweetness of the fish.  Underneath lay a mix of toasted farro, fava beans, North Arm Summer squash, O'Neil farm fresh apricots and pumpkin seeds which was a study in textures accented by a touch of acidity.  On top, the dish was finished with fennel and watercress that added both brightness and aromatics. Next up was the Duo of Rangelands Buffalo featuring a roasted fillet and orange, coriander and fresh herb sausage.  Served on the side was North Arm baby carrots, chimichurri and demi.  Despite the leanness of the buffalo fillet, it was perfectly rare where it was succulent with a firm and smoky bark.  The sausage was meaty and lean with pepper, fennel and coriander notes finishing off with the sweetness of orange.  I found the chimichurri to be interestingly creamy with garlicky and herbaceous notes finishing with a tang.  The demi was silky and rich with a definite red wine hit.

Moving onto dessert, we were spoiled with not one, but 2 plates of sweets.  The first consisted of North Arm blueberries and raspberries with Lemon Tart and Valrhona Mousse Cake.  Light and almost fluffy, the creamy lemon tart was purposefully sweet with only a mild tartness.  The minimal crust was buttery and firm which was a nice accent.  As for the mousse cake, there was layers of texture which included creamy, crunchy and fluffy.  There was a strong chocolate presence (of course, since it was Valrhona) that was not overly sweet nor bitter.  The dessert finished off smooth with the aroma of coffee.  On the next plate, there was a selection of Macarons, Pâte de Fruits and Caramels.  I was able to sample the coconut macaron and it was sweet and aromatic from the toasted coconut.  The exterior was nicely crisp that revealed a chewy, yet soft inside.  A wonderful end to a unique experience. Now, it is quite obvious I thoroughly enjoyed my meal that was held in a truly Supernatural BC setting.  Now at $175.00 pp including cocktail reception, four-course menu, wine pairings, tax and gratuity, it definitely isn't cheap.  But considering the quality and quantity of the food all served in a one-of-a-kind dining space, it doesn't seem so outrageous after all.

*All food, beverages and gratuities were comped*

The Good:
- The beautiful table set in a field with nature as its backdrop (need I say more?)
- Masterfully executed dining experience
- Not only quality, but quantity

The Bad:
- As much as I think it is worth it, it is still $175.00 pp
- Mother nature may not play nice, but it did play nice this time

CHAU VeggiExpress

Normally, having lunch with Choobee includes the usual whining that the location of the restaurant is too far or it's not interesting enough.  Imagine the shock when she suggested we eat out on Victoria Drive and at Chau VeggiExpress.  What?  Somewhere East of Main Street AND vegetarian???  I knew she has a screw loose somewhere, but this was outright lunacy.  Fine, I guess I shouldn't be picky.  At least she was willing to travel for food...  Besides, I sampled the food before at a Tasting Plates and admittedly, it was pretty good.

We decided to share everything beginning with the Namahata or their version of a salad roll consisting of shredded bean curd, mint, quinoa, mung bean, green leaf lettuce, cucumber and crispy wheat crunch accompanied by lemon sauce.  This was an exploration in textures including the soft bean curd, crunchy cucumber, crisp lettuce and of course, the wheat crunch.  The mint really came through and the lemon added a nice refreshing acidity.  For our mains, I dug into the Candlelit Lantern Down the River first.  It featured an aromatic, yet impactful broth consisting of star anise and cinnamon encompassing rice noodles along with assorted tofu, mushrooms, lotus roots and herbs.  With familiar flavours akin to Pho, but without the meat, this was probably my favourite of the bunch as the noodles were toothsome while the ingredients made me forget about the meat.

Next, I tried the Golden Temple with quinoa served on the side.  Aromatic and purposeful, the turmeric curry broth helped highlight the combination of assorted tofu, veggies, yam, taro, kale and herbs.  I found this to be both light and flavourful at the same time.  The vibrant and firm veggies were a real treat as they retained their colour and textures.  I'm not sure if the quinoa was the best accompaniment as noodles or rice would've soaked up the broth more readily.  Finally, we had the Moonlit Midnight Swim consisting of wild rice blend, assorted tofu, veggies, kale, mushrooms and lotus root in a spiced peanut, mushroom sauce topped by lettuce, roasted peanuts and seeds.  This one was the most hearty of the offerings with firm rice and a nutty sweet & salty sauce.  We liked that there was a definite heat to it as well.  Similarly to all of the other dishes, there was a nice contrast of textures.  Okay, okay, I'm not afraid to say it - I like the food at Chau.  There I said it.  Now where is the closest steak house?

The Good:
- Impactful and purposeful flavours
- No meat and it's still hearty

The Bad:
- Maybe a bit heavy on the sodium at times

Semiahmoo Resort & Spa (& Pierside Kitchen)

To be frank, when I first got the invite to check out Semiahmoo Resort and Spa, along with a visit to Pierside Kitchen, I was indifferent.  Was this going to be just another default restaurant serving up standard eats for people trapped at a resort?  Well, let's just say that I was about to be pleasantly surprised.  Little did I know that the place had gone through a change in ownership back in 2013.  Since then, the resort has been going through renovations in stages.  One of the biggest changes was the total revamp of Packer's Oyster Bar and the adjacent dining space.

With its waterfront location across from White Rock, Semiahmoo Resort is only a short drive from the Peace Arch border crossing.  Viv and I took advantage of this by heading down to Bellingham prior to checking in.  We were put up in a water view King bedroom on the 2nd floor of the resort.  The room was spacious and had undergone some of the aforementioned renovations including bathroom marble counter top and top-of-the-line Simmons Beautyrest Black mattresses.  Suffice to say, I liked our mattress as I have the model one step below at home.  The completion of the remaining renovations (including change of furniture) will be completed by the end of 2014.  We were given a tour of the facilities which included a full-service spa, pool, steam room and hot tub.  On the floor above, there was an impressive fitness facility complete with a small jogging track.  An indoor tennis and racquetball court completed the recreational options within the building. If one wanted to play golf, a shuttle could take them to either Loomis Trail Golf Club or Semiahmoo Golf and Country Club.

Now enough with the resort itself, onto the food!  We were first treated to freshly shucked Drayton Harbor Pacific Chilled Oysters on the Half Shell.  Sourced locally and super fresh, these were really good being naturally sweet while accented by a wonderful brine.  As much as I loved adding sambal and horseradish, these were perfectly fine eaten as is.  This exemplified their commitment in working with local farms, artisans, ranchers and fisherman to ensure both freshness and representation of Pacific Northwest food. We then moved onto Packer's for some cocktails and a Margherita wood oven fired pizza. Although not particularly authentic in a Neapolitan-style manner, the pizza was still delicious.  The relatively thin crust was crispy while elastically chewy on the inside.  The dough was seasoned without being salty where it exhibited a nuttiness from the char.  I found the tomato sauce hid in the background and gave way to the fresh tomatoes on top as well as the plethora of pesto (their take on a Magherita).

As mentioned, we also sampled 2 drinks including Hoist that Rag consisting of  Square One Basil Vodka, cucumber puree, lemon and rosemary simple.  On my initial sip, the cucumber really came through with a fresh and bright lightness. As a result, the drink did not go down heavy, rather it was extremely easy to finish.  The nice hit of tartness from the lemon and balanced amount of sweetness made this a dangerous drink (as one could drink many).  Next, we tried an experimental cocktail of sorts being the Magneto made with gin, Luxardo, sweet vermouth, Fernet Branca, lemon tarragon foam, egg white, lemon juice and simple syrup finished with an edible flower petal.  Again, this went down easy with a certain smoothness thanks to the egg foam.  Furthermore, the balance of sweetness vs. acidity was just right.  All herbs used in their drinks came from their garden which were used in the house-made simple syrups.

After this, we moved back to Pierside for an unexpectedly large feast.  Already awaiting us at our table was a board of Charcuterie made up of figs, capicola, salami, prosciutto, fruit, grain mustard, cornichons, pickled garlic, roasted hazelnuts and almonds with rosemary country bread.  Arranged beautifully with a balanced mixture of different items, it ate as good as it looked.  We felt that the menu price of $14.00 was fair for the amount and quality.  Next up, we had an amuse bouche (Smoked Yogurt Panna Cotta) that I was so excited to eat, I forgot to take a picture of it!  This was something different with the tartness of the yogurt playing off the smoke essence.  It was served with braised artichokes, heirloom carrots, black pepper tuile, watercress and pine nut hummus.  The sweet and pepper tuile as well as the even sweeter carrots were necessary to counteract the tartness of the yogurt.  We weren't sure if the artichokes (which were tart as well) were necessary.

I made a conscious effort to take photos of the following dishes starting with the RR Ranch Tenderloin Carpaccio with Cloud Mountain Farm summer legumes, pecorino and Marcona almond.  Cleanly presented while highlighting the ingredients, we knew from this point on that this wasn't "Plain Blaine" as some have remarked in years past. At first, I was concerned with the thick slice of beef, but with one bite, it practically melted-in-my-mouth. A subtle aroma emanated from the eye-pleasing chive oil while the pink peppercorns added a background bite.  We felt the flavors were in harmony as well as the textures. Immediately after the carpaccio, we were presented with a Plum Sorbet to cleanse our palates.  I guess this was a sign that there was a whole lot more to come...  As simple as this was, the taste was natural with a good mix of tart and sweet.  Texturally, it was as smooth as ice can get.

Emulating a work of art, the multitude of eye-popping colors from the Chef's Garden Petite Greens with young Walla Walla onions, blackberries, raspberries, macerated strawberries, goat cheese, edible flowers, baby lettuce mix and Verjus Blanc Vinaigrette was a refreshing and light course. I liked how the sweetness of the fruit worked with the acidity of the vinagrette and gaminess of the goat cheese. Onto the mains, Viv had the Wood-Fired Halibut with artichokes, piquillo sauce, English peas, cherry tomatoes and olive tapenade.  As evidenced in the picture, the halibut was the beneficiary of a golden sear which added a crispiness and caramelization that gave way to moist and flaky fish (which was only lightly seasoned). Despite appearing spicy, the piquillo sauce only had a slight kick on its finish.  Due to my personal love of olives, I welcomed the addition of tapenade to the plate as it added the necessary saltiness.  It was smartly accented by plump tomatoes and firm English peas.

For myself, I had the RR Ranch All Natural Beef Tenderloin with local summer vegetables, bacon lardon, carrots, young turnips, thyme jus and shaved black truffle.  Oh man, that shaved truffle...!  From appearances alone, this dish meant business.  Blessed with a caramelized crust featuring a good dose of cracked pepper and salt, the tenderloin did not long for any more seasoning.  It was prepared a nice medium-rare where the meat was tender.  The thyme jus was silky with the essence of red wine while completely cooked down.  As for the veggies, they were on point texturally, yet a bit oversalted.  Another interestingly plated dish was the Aerated Brie with seasonal accoutrements (berries, figs, grapes and kumquats). At this point, I had to remind myself I was in Blaine, not some big North American city.  As straightforward as this dish was, the thing that brought it all together was the crusty house-made toasted bread.  It provided texture as well as being the vessel to combine the soft, airy brie with the sweet accompaniments.

For dessert, we had the Whipped Citrus Cremeux with short bread crumble, fennel-crème fraîche ice cream, orange curd, marshmallow fluff, grapefruit, orange and grapefruit fennel gelee.  Again, attractively presented, this was another study in various uses of citrus.  First, the cremeux was super light and creamy.  The citrus showed up at the finish with no tartness.  Same with the curd and gelee as they were more floral than citrusy. Of course the wedges of grapefruit and orange did offer up an acidity that was needed. Lastly, the ice cream was smooth and semi-sweet with only a mild fennel taste.  With all the things going on with the plate, we felt the marshmallow probably didn't need to be there.  Ending off the meal, we had the Chocolate Royal Bites where the layers of hazelnut crunch, 70% Valhrona mousse and ganache emulated a Ferraro Rocher.  The varying textures of airy, rich chocolate and crunch were pleasant in our mouths.  Furthermore, the bites were not sweet, rather, they were aromatic with a touch of bitterness.

Oh wow.  Really.  Okay, it is true that this visit to Semiahmoo Resort was comped and they really pulled out all the stops to impress us. Well, consider myself and Viv thoroughly impressed.  As I've said before and I'll say it again, despite being an invite, an establishment can only do their personal best.  They cannot be significantly better just because they want to.  I never would've thought that this level of gastronomy would be available in Blaine.  Considering the relatively reasonable-pricing and inviting dining space, there is much to like about Pierside Kitchen.  I guess we shouldn't have been that surprised because both Packer's and Pierside are under the direction of Executive Chef Eric Truglas, hailing from Paris and a Michelin Star trained Epicurean World Master Chef.  As much as the resort is still in transition (from the renovations), the restaurants represent a bold refocus.  If this was just a taste of what's to come, I'm definitely coming back to see the finished product.

*Accommodations, food and beverages excluding gratuities were comped*

The Good:
- Shocking level of refinement and execution
- Prices are in-line with the food quality
- Bright, modern rustic dining space

The Bad:
- As much as the restaurants are completely renovated and revamped, the rest of the resort is in transition (until it is completed, some parts are old)
- Not really a bad because the pizza was good, but I'd like to see true Neapolitan pizza from the wood-burning oven