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With a 50% rating on Urbanspoon, Pier 7 Restaurant + Bar is one of those establishments that I am often apprehensive in visiting. But by the same token, I've been to several 80%+ restaurants and have been bitterly disappointed. Hence, when I got an invite to a tasting at Pier 7, I figured why not give it a shot? It would be a great way to see whether the rating is warranted or not. Besides, I have visited the place before during the North Van Tasting Plates and was impressed with the location and view.
Now a view is one thing, but what about the food? We were started off with a sampler size of their Smoked Albacore Tuna Niçoise comprised of smoked tuna, butter poached green beans, olives, tomato, Yukon potato, fleur de sel and frisee in a light vinaigrette. All of the individual components were well-prepared including the crunchy beans, plump tomato, soft potato and buttery smoky tuna. Despite the necessary saltiness from the olives and tuna, the vinaigrette itself was not very apparent. Next up we were presented with the Roasted Beet Salad consisting of d’anjou pear, goat's feta cheese, fleur de sel and frisee. With 3 types of beets, we got a bit of everything including the sweetness of the red, Earthiness of the golden and strong root flavour of the striped. The salty goat's cheese was a nice balance as well as an important flavouring agent as the dish was quite mild.
Onto a dish that is yet on the menu, we tried the Braised Short Rib Croquette and Seared Sea Diver Scallops with carrot puree, micro greens, fleur de sel and pickled grapes. The light crispiness and overall airiness of the croquette came as a welcomed surprise. With velvety whipped potatoes, moist and tender short rib, basil and green onion, the croquette was money. The best item of our meal for sure. As for the scallops, they were nicely seared on both sides while still being buttery soft on the inside. The carrot puree was smooth, sweet and mild enough to not interfere with the natural sweetness of the scallops. Our final savoury dish was the Lamb Sirloin which was sous-vide and then grilled with a harissa rub. Underneath was a Persian-inspired ratatouille as well as a red wine reduction, lemon sauce and squash puree. With all these ingredients, the flavours did get a bit muddled but each component was well-prepared (could've done with a few less things on the plate). The lamb was sufficiently tender, but was a touch sinewy. We liked the harissa-tomato rub as it added a tasty sweet spiciness to the meat. In addition, the ratatouille was indeed unique tasting with the flavours of cumin, cardamom and cinnamon (Advieh spice mixture).
For dessert, we had the House-Made Waffle with chocolate mousse, almond tuile, fresh berries and raspberry coulis. After a relatively pleasant meal, it was unfortunate that the waffle was plain terrible. It was as if they forgot to put baking soda in the batter as it was super dense, hard and dry. On the other hand, the mousse quenelles were light, minimally sweet and chocolaty ending off with an appealing bitterness. Waffle withstanding, the food we sampled at Pier 7 was more than acceptable. Prices on the menu seem fair for the awesome location as well as the inviting dining space. As much as the food wasn't perfect (and it never is), it was better than average, so a 50% rating seems rather low. Maybe things have changed for the better?
*All food and beverages excluding gratuities were comped*
The Good:
- Reasonable pricing given its location and style
- Decent eats (that we had)
- Nice location
The Bad:
- Kitchen was a little backed up from the full house
- Seasoning could've been more aggresive
- Waffle was not good
A long time ago, when I lived in Oakridge, I would bike down to Mac's on the corner of Oak & 49th for my fill of snacks and sweets. Over time, the need for corner stores started to diminish and ultimately, this location of Mac's went the way of the cheap house prices. Now in its place are 2 restaurants with one being A&W and the other Sushi Mura. Since Gadget Girl wanted to partake in a game of Legendary at her house after our Friday night hockey game, we ended up at nearby Sushi Mura for a quick bite before our nerd-a-thon, ahem, I mean our night of gaming...
Milhouse, Emilicious, Sweet Tooth and I decided to share some dishes while Gadget Girl and Mr. Blueberry did their own thing. However, we had one item in common being the Chirashi Don ($10.95) except we had the Deluxe Chirashi Don ($13.95). Interestingly, other than the shape of the bowls, there was only minimal differences between the 2. We felt that the extra $3.00 was not worth it. The slices of fish were all acceptable and we liked the spicy sauce on the seared tuna. I wasn't a big fan of the sushi rice though as it was dry, hard and under-seasoned (I really didn't taste anything). For our specialty roll, we tried the Crazy Rabbit consisting of unagi, tamago, ebi, imitation crab and yam tempura rolled with sliced cucumber. On the outside, it was dressed with tempura flakes, tobiko and sauce. Without sushi rice, this roll was texturally soft except for the crunch of the cucumber. It was really hard to differentiate any of the ingredients as it just melded into one, especially with the creamy, salty and sweet sauces on the outside.
We got a few smaller appies as well including the Agedashi Tofu, Gomae and Gyoza. I found the tofu to be relatively silky with a mostly soft exterior. Even the pieces not immersed in sauce, they were not particularly crispy either. They actually forgot the gomae and it came at the end of the meal. The spinach itself was tender and nicely arranged in the small bowl. Even though there was ample dressing, it wasn't particularly sweet nor aromatic. Nicely seared on the bottom, the gyoza featured a relatively thin dumpling skin. It was slightly chewy while still soft. The filling was a bit cabbage heavy though, hence, the meat really didn't make an impact.
Our order of Assorted Tempura arrived pipping hot. It wasn't greasy per se, yet it wasn't devoid of oiliness either. When I bit into the sweet potato, it was crispy, but the inside was a little oily. The batter could've been slightly less thick on the ebi, but it was fine on the veggies. Lastly, we had the Seafood Udon which was not bad. The noodles were chewy while the dashi was on the sweeter side. I really didn't like the spot prawn as it was obviously not fresh (not the season). It was unappealingly mushy. Despite this (and all the other inconsistencies), the food was okay and considering the location (Oakridge), the prices were reasonable. But, if one wanted better sushi, best to drive down Oak and eat at Applause.
The Good:
- Reasonable pricing
- Decent portion size
The Bad:
- Not really attentive service
- Seating is a bit tight
Hot Chocolate never lets me forget about the time we went to The Reef without her. So I keep promising her that the next time we go, she would be included. In fact, I would make it mission of mine to head there just for her benefit. Well, that was nearly 5 years ago when I made that declaration. That's as long as someone has to wait for surgery in BC! LOL... Anyways, I finally followed through and we made our way over to the Main Street location after Monday night softball.
Before anything else arrived, we were treated to their complimentary Johnny Cakes. These freshly-fried balls of joy were exactly how I remembered them - crispy on the outside and a firm fluffy on the inside. These were sweet and with melting butter, well let's just say they were good. While looking at the menu, I was eying the Tasting Platter consisting of Chana Salad, Plantain Chips, Jerk Wings and Coco Prawns. Hence, I enlisted the help of Boss Woman, Milhouse and Bear to help me eat it. Such helpful people! The wings were moist while mostly mild with only hint of spice. Crunchy with a snap, the coco prawns were okay, but over-battered. I found the chickpeas to be rather soft while bathed in a mildly spicy garam masala.
Bear also went for his own order of Doubles. For those unfamiliar, it is a sandwich made with bara which is fried flat bread. There are different fillings, but for this one, it was curried chickpeas. Unlike the one I had recently at D Roti Shak, the bara was dense, greasy and really crunchy. The chickpeas were no different than the ones from the tasting platter being mildly spiced. For his main, he had the Trini Roti with curry chicken. Since most of the filling was dark meat, it ended up being moist. Unlike the chickpea curry, the heat level was amped in the roti where it lingered. He didn't end up opting for the dahlpouri (spiced lentils in between the layers of roti), hence his roti was a bit chewier and less "fluffy".
Hot Chocolate went for one of my 2 choices being the Calypso Oxtail, but since she is a super nice person, I got to try some. Stewed with potatoes and carrots and served atop rice and beans, this was a substantial portion. The meat was fall-off-the-bone tender with only a few stringy parts. The flavours were rich, but missing something. For myself, I decided on Jamaica's national dish - Ackee & Saltfish consisting of ackee fruit, salt cod, onion, tomato and peppers atop rice and peas with coleslaw on the side. For those who haven't tried ackee, it has the consistency of scrambled eggs. Combined with the salted fish and veggies, the mix exhibited varied flavours including some saltiness, spice and sweetness.
Milhouse went for his standby which was meat in the Dominca Beef consisting of cumin & garlic marinated tenderloin tips with salsa verde served with mashed potatoes & veggies. I was able to sample a piece and it was really tender and moist. The flavours were definitely there, but not too strong. The mash was whipped, hence being quite light and fluffy. As for the broccoli, it was a bit underdone being really crunchy. Judes doesn't handle spice well, so she ordered the only dish she could off the menu - Island Thyme Chicken. Consisting of coconut milk marinated chicken slow cooked in Jamaican thyme, the dish was aromatic if not a bit bland. The chicken breast itself was surprisingly moist for being slow-cooked.
Boss Woman had essentially what Bear ordered minus the roti in the West Indian Chicken Curry served with white rice, coleslaw, mango chutney and dahi. So similarly, the chicken was moist being dark meat while the curry was quite spicy. The plate could've used a bit more rice as a result. In the end, The Reef met our expectations in terms of Vancouver Jamaican food. Since Hot Chocolate hails from the Caribbean, she summed up our experience the best - the food does the job decently for where we live. Anyone expecting more should then buy a ticket to Jamaica because restaurants try to appeal to the local population (they are a business after all).
The Good:
- Something different
- A low-risk introduction to Caribbean fare
- Love those Johnny Cakes
The Bad:
- Flavours could be even more impactful
Here we go again with the F-word... No, I'm not going to start analyzing hip hop or gangsta rap songs here. Rather, it is the word that often elicits strong reactions from food lovers everywhere. Yes, I'm talking about fusion. Generally misunderstood, fusion cuisine is often the blame for strange eats that is not easily categorized. But let me ask you this, if fusion is such a bad thing, where do you think Pho and Banh Mi originate from? So with an open mind and an empty stomach, Viv and I made our way to an invited tasting at Morocco West.
As the front signage suggests, the food at Morocco West is fusion rather than being straight-up Moroccan. With being said, our first appie was not really fusion as it was an actual Moroccan dish. Zaalouk, made of spiced eggplant and topped with 3 olives, was served with house-made bread. Although the soft eggplant was quite mild, there was a low rumble of spice. The olives played a key role as they provided the necessary saltiness and zip to what otherwise would be an ordinary dish. We found the bread to be a bit dense, but it worked as a compliment to the eggplant. We thought the Chemoula Prawns was the best dish of the meal as it featured plenty of acidity. Consisting of barely cooked prawns exhibiting a meaty snap, the cilantro pesto butter already had enough lemon to brighten things up. On top of that, the cooked lemon slice allowed us to add even more zip (we happen to love lemon).
Next up, we sampled the Moroccan-Style Halibut with roasted peppers, lentil ragout and potato florets. Depending on what part of the fish, it was either a touch dry or completely moist and flaky. It appeared to be seasoned with similar spices as the prawns. I thought the lentil ragout to be well-balanced with a background spiciness. However, the lentils could've been more firm. Onto the Rabbit Tenderloin with braised cabbage medley and green pea velouté, it made me think of my daughter. She loves bunnies and I thought it would've been funny to send her a picture of the dish. But then again, that would've been mean and would've scarred her for life. I decided not to... As for the dish itself, the rabbit was somewhat chewy, yet it is a lean meat. We didn't like the seasoning though as it was far too salty where even the tangy cabbage couldn't help matters. The cabbage itself was a too greasy.
On the other hand, the Chef's Signature Baby Back Ribs were too sweet. Already tossed in a sugary balsamic reduction, the fall-off-the-bone and super tender ribs were in no need of more sweetness. However, the maple bourbon bacon jam added just that. There was actually a lot to like with the individual components, but they just didn't need to be with each other. Interestingly, Viv combined the bacon jam with the salty rabbit and it was pretty good. The 2 components balanced each other off. Out last savory dish was the Chicken Cous Cous with saffron chicken, chickpeas, onion confit, raisins and Moroccan jus. This was a substantial plate of food that featured a chicken leg with nicely rendered crispy skin. The meat was sufficiently moist, but lacking in seasoning (we didn't get much saffron). However, when combined with the rest of the ingredients, there was no issue as the raisins and onions added sweetness while the jus supplied the savory aspect.
With dessert, we started with the Cherry and Ricotta Strudel consisting of Cointreau, fresh cherries and mixed berry coulis. I liked the crispy light phyllo exterior, but I found the filling to be too dense and somewhat dry. The cherries were nice though being purposefully sweet. Yet, there needed to be more of them as the strudel was very mild-tasting. Something that caught our eye was the Cous Cous Creme Brulee with apricots, prunes, raisins, cinnamon and Crème Anglaise. I found that it resembled a cross between a rice and bread pudding. As much as it was mushy, I didn't mind the texture. With all the fruit, the whole thing was quite sweet, but somehow it worked for me. Ultimately, I give the chef kudos for attempting this and the other dishes. As you can see, some worked better than others. And really, that is what fusion is all about - experimentation with food. Some will hit the mark while others need to go back to the drawing board.
*All food and beverages excluding gratuities were comped*
The Good:
- Something different
- Bold flavours at play with some dishes
- Proteins were mostly on point
The Bad:
- On the pricier side
- With experimentation, you get both hits and misses
It's always a pleasure to be a judge in the Canadian Festival of Chili & BBQ each year out in the Cascades Casino parking lot out in Langley. I'm not sure if Viv necessarily agrees because she is the beneficiary of the fallout afterwards... This year, Sean joined me in the "line of fire" in trying out many different chilis in rapid succession. But before that, we needed to get a real meal inside of us first right? Call it a pre-eating exercise of sorts... Hence, we did a pit stop at Sun Viet first which, according to the internet, serves up some pretty good eats.
We started with both the Summer and Spring Rolls. The carefully constructed Summer Rolls featured all of the necessary ingredients including lettuce, rice noodle, basil, bean sprouts, pork and shrimp. So many places take shortcuts, but not here as the roll was really good. The dipping sauce had a nice balance between peanut and hoisin as well. Neatly plated, the Spring Rolls were crunchy, yet a bit too chewy (possibly either fried too long or dried out wrapper). They were not greasy and the chicken filing was moist and flavourful with a nice hint of fish sauce. I particularly liked that the filling was varied with shrimp, taro, carrots, wood ear mushrooms and mung bean noodles.
We ended up with one more appie being the District 1 Chicken Wings. Correctly described on the menu as crispy, these wings were also not greasy (proper oil temp). The meat inside was moist and flavourful while not juicy. I really liked the accompanying dip that was tart from the tamarind and flavourful from the garlic and pepper. Naturally, we couldn't pass up a bowl of Pho Dac Biet and it was the right decision as it was also quite good. The broth was clean, light and only mildly sweet. Either there wasn't any MSG or very little of it. Moreover, the noodles were not clumpy while the meats were sliced thin and tender.
Lastly, we shared the Chargrilled Lemongrass Chicken with Jasmine Rice. As you can see in the picture, the chicken was beautifully charred which resulted in a nice smoky flavour in addition to the aromatics from the lemongrass. As much as it was charred on the outside, the meat remained moist on the inside. This dish, along with the others were practically all on point. Surprisingly, the food at Sun Viet can be seen as better than most other Vietnamese restaurants (of this type) in Vancouver. They are legit, including the inclusion of saw leaf herb with the sprouts.
The Good:
- Solid, carefully-crafted eats
- Nice people
- Clean
The Bad:
- Service was good, but due to the booth seating, it was hard to flag someone down
The last time I was invited to Doolin's, I was able to sample some of their new menu items which were generally pretty good. Similarly to some of the other gastropubs in town, Doolin's continues to up their game in offering just the regular pub fair (yet at a reasonable price). Hence, with another round of new offerings, I received another invite to sample them on their dime. So I mentally prepared myself to be stared at by pub patrons much like the last 2 times. Big DSLRs and pubs don't really seem to mix... They seem to draw less attention at Japanese restaurants... Hmmm....
Starting with the most important item of our meal, we both had a pint of the Double Mountain Kölsch from Oregon that was unfiltered and noticeably hoppy. I found it refreshing while smooth going down. Despite being described as generously hopped, we didn't find it overly bitter. With that, we proceeded to the food beginning with the Short Rib Flatbread with red wine braised beef, caramelized onions, dry roasted cherry tomatoes, mozzarella and tomato sauce topped with blue cheese aioli. One bite and we could tell several flavours were at play with equal impact. The sharpness of the blue cheese was pretty apparent as well as the rich stewed aroma of the short rib. Most of it was moist except for the exposed portions which dried out slightly. Most importantly, the dried tomatoes provided tartness which helped cut through the heaviness of the ingredients. As for the crust, it was bread like, yet light and crispy at the same time.
Next, we sampled the Deep Fried Pickles with a dill breading and chipotle aioli. Depending on which part of the spear, it ranged from a firm crunchy to a softer crispiness (in the middle). That didn't impact the overall product as none of the batter was soggy. We could definitely taste the ample dill while the pickle itself was not tremendously salty. The chipotle mayo was effectively spicy where it was not overwhelming. Onto more fried goodness, we had the Wonton Prawns breaded with wonton wrapper strips and served with Ponzu and sweet Srirracha lime. Texturally, there was a firm crunch from the strips and then a lighter crispiness underneath. The prawns were meaty and naturally sweet. We much preferred the Srirracha sauce as it had a nice mix of spice and zip. We felt the Ponzu was far too salty and overwhelmed the prawns.
Onto the mains, Viv tried their new Fried Chicken Sandwich consisting of lightly breaded Rossdown Farms free-range chicken topped with aged white cheddar, bacon and chipotle aioli on a toasted sourdough Kaiser bun. Being free-range chicken, the large fried breast meat was sufficiently moist while firm. However, it could've used a light brine as the meat was dependent on the crispy batter and other ingredients for flavour. The crispy bacon and sharp cheddar came through in that regard. We loved the toasted bun as it was crispy and held up to the ingredients. We were not fans of the coleslaw though as it had a really odd aftertaste. As for my Guinness Beef Pie, it was meat love at first bite. Underneath the flaky pastry was a thick and rich gravy that had all the goodness of Guinness without the bitterness. It was a tad salty though, but when combined with the chunky mash, it worked fine. The big chunks of meat remained succulent while the plump mushrooms were a nice surprise with each bite.
For dessert, we shared the Brownie and Ice Cream with peanut butter chocolate ice cream. We found the brownie to be chocolaty and pretty sweet due to the ample chocolate chips. It was moist with an appealing chewiness. The star of the plate was the ice cream as it was nutty and not overly sweet. We felt the caramel drizzle was not necessary as there was enough sweetness on the plate as it was. Ultimately, this was a literally sweet finish to another solid meal at Doolin's. Considering their reasonable pricing and ample portions, there is not much to complain about the food here.
*All food and beverages excluding gratuities were comped*
The Good:
- Reasonable pricing
- Good portions
- Above-average eats
The Bad:
- It's a gastropub, so don't expect health food (and I don't)
- I know this is nitpicking, but there was something funky about that coleslaw
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