skip to main |
skip to sidebar
There are many things that baffle me. Not including complex calculus, one of the greatest mysteries was Sui Sha Ya. How could a place serving up such mediocre-to-poor AYCE Japanese fare survive for so long? Well, the one at Metrotown seemed to live on forever, much like a Costco lineup (especially at the Bellingham location!). Finally and mercifully, it has recently been replaced by an oddity of sorts - a restaurant dedicated to freshly made udon. I guess much like the ramen craze, Sekai Udon Bar is attempting to start a new trend in Vancouver.
With 4 kids terrorizing our house (darn playdates!), we decided to head out for lunch at the aforementioned Sekai Udon Bar. Before we got to the udon, we shared some appies including the Chicken Karaage. This was not really all that good due to the overcooked chicken. It was crispy though with seemingly more skin than meat. The lemon and mayo were quite necessary as the chicken itself wasn't seasoned enough. Next, we sampled something they called Japoutine which featured tempura-battered potato topped with cheese and gravy. We added chicken katsu for another $1.50. Obviously, with the gravy, the fries were not all that crispy. There was lots of cheese, that made almost every bite stringy. The pre-packaged gravy was pretty standard being thick and mildy flavoured. We found the chicken to be tender, but would've liked to see it more crunchy, so it would stand up to the moisture.
One last appie was the Assorted Tempura which was curiously the same price as the prawn tempura minus one prawn (but all the veggies). Although the veggies were the proper texture while the prawns had a buttery snap, the tempura batter was thick and dense. Hence, it was a firm crunchy rather than a light crispiness. For my order of udon, I decided to try the Spicy Tan Tan in a spicy miso based soup, bean sprouts, enoki mushrooms, baby bok choy, black sesame, chili oil, chopped green onions and ground pork. Yes, not exactly a Japanese flavour I know... It did taste okay though with a vinegary tartness and a mild spice level. The combination of moist ground pork and pickled mustard greens added some depth and tang. I chose the whole wheat udon and it was soft with a slight chew.
Viv had the Niku with sukiyaki braised beef, onions, enoki mushrooms, chopped green onions and baby bok choy. The dashi broth was rather sweet with a bonito finish. The modest amount of beef was sufficiently tender while the whole wheat udon was not unlike mine. For the kiddies, they shared the Tonkotsu with braised fatty pork, sprouts and baby bok choy (we omitted the green onions). Similar to a tonkotsu raman, the broth was somewhat flavourful, but not in a rich, in-depth manner. I wouldn't go as far as saying that it relied completely on seasoning, but it didn't have that impactful and rich bone-marrow silkiness. The udon, once again, was decently chewy while the pork was fatty and succulent.
Chocoholic ordered the Kitsune with with extra thick fried and marinated tofu (atsukage), enoki mushrooms, chopped green onions and baby bok choy. Indeed, the tofu was in large pieces and sweet. As for the broth, it was indistinguishable as to what it was. It did taste sweet with some dashi elements. Lastly, she also tried the Yaki Udon in special sauce with chicken, zucchini, onions, carrots, chopped green onions and seaweed. For something pan-fried, the udon was a bit slimy and lacking in caramelization. The sauce was acceptable though with a vinegary hit, but the absence of a good sear meant the flavours were not impactful. Overall, we though the udon was decent while the appies to be substandard. However, the biggest issue is the portion size in relation to the prices (both the Tan Tan and Tonkotsu are $11.00).
The Good:
- Fresh, decent udon
- Lots of choice
The Bad:
- Expensive for the small portion size
- Appies were below average
High on top of Urbanspoon's "talk of the town" list, Basho has been on my radar for some time. However, the stars never aligned where I could actually pay the place a visit. Leave it to Whipping Girl as the positive influence I needed to push me in the right direction. She wanted to treat me to lunch since I was helping her mount her large flat screen TV as well as build Ikea furniture. Yes, I'm so handy a la Weird Al... Geez, I really should've asked for a more expensive restaurant!
Price is one thing, but when you have quality, it makes up for it. Basho, on the surface, appeared to hit all the right notes... Starting with the Cheddar Green Onion Biscuit, it embodied the spirit of Basho in one compact package. Simple, carefully-prepared and pleasing, the crisp exterior revealed a dense-fluffiness where the aroma of the green onion really came through. Not in a raw-tasting manner, but as mildly herbed with the nutty-saltiness of cheddar. We decided to try the Pumpkin Soup with a regular Biscuit as well. Velvety to the tongue and creamy overall, the pumpkin soup was well-blended and balanced. It did not have an overbearing pumpkin essence
Onto bigger items, we shared the Tuna Tataki Salad and the Teri Pulled Pork on rice. With beautiful thin slices of nicely seared tuna and fresh crisp greens, this was a fine example of simplicity. But that didn't mean it wasn't full of interesting and appealing flavours though. We particularly enjoyed the grated ginger, green onion and shichimi atop the tuna. It reminded us of the condiment served with Chinese poached chicken while exhibiting a kick from the shichimi. As for the vinaigrette, it was nicely acidic and sweet. Although the pulled pork itself was somewhat dry, there was an appealing vinegary teriyaki sauce (that wasn't too sweet) as well as a good amount of rice.
Of course we couldn't leave Basho without getting a bunch of their bakery items to go. These included a Matcha Madeleine, Lemon Cake, Brownie, Matcha Shortbread, Matcha White Chocolate Chip, Matcha Chocolate Chip, Black Sesame Cookie, Almond Chocolate Cookie and Matcha Almond. The highlight for us was the lemon cake as it was moist and unmistakeable in flavour. The cookies were crispy and light while mildly flavour where aroma dominated rather than sugar. The Madeleine was a bit interesting as the texture was more firm and dense, but it was still enjoyable nonetheless. As for all the matcha-influenced items, the taste was not overwhelming, rather it was complimentary. As you can see from what we tried, the items were not overly complicated nor would it win any culinary awards. Yet, as simple as this little place is, it does what it does well.
The Good:
- Cute little place with nice people
- Carefully-made items
The Bad:
- Limited menu
- Limited seating
Fresh off attending Araxi's Longtable Dinner in Pemberton, I was invited another Top Table Group event. This one was held at CinCin Ristorante + Bar and featured a collaboration between Executive Chef Andrew Richardson and guest chef, renowned Argentinian Chef Francis Mallmann. Living up to the event's namesake and Chef Mallmann's expertise in open-fire cooking, 5 parking spots in front of CinCin were cordoned off for the grilling spectacle. Drawing quite the crowd along Robson Street, an army of chefs were preparing salmon, salt-crusted halibut, beets, fruit and beautiful whole rib roasts hanging over an open fire. For all this work, the result would be 2 separate tasting events on back-to-back nights. I attended the 4-course meal with choices in each course ($99.00).
For my first, I decided on the Smashed Beets with garlic chips, arugula & goat cheese. Hidden beneath the peppery arugula was a large yellow beet that had been pressed down onto a hot grill. Hence, there was extreme caramelization in terms of its appearance and taste. The smoky and sweet exterior of the beet was elevated by the impactful garlic chips. Since the beet itself was not seasoned aggressively, the nuggets of salty goat cheese did the heavy lifting. For my next dish, I had the Salt-Crusted Halibut prepared in the "infiernillo" with salmoriglio and burnt kale salad. The tender flakes of halibut were nicely accented by the salmoriglio consisting of parsley, oregano, lemon, garlic and olive oil. Yes, this is somewhat similar to chimichurri except being lighter and acidic. I really liked the kale salad as the leaves retained an appealing chewiness while completely cooked with a noticeable smokiness. There was, however, a bit too much salt for my liking.
Forget about everything else, my focus was on the third course! With a cut that made me full by just looking at it, the Slow Roasted Rib-Eye on the bone dared me to eat it all. That I did! For some at the table, the meat was too rare, but for me, I didn't mind it because the meat was still sufficiently tender and full of flavour due to the copious amount of fat. Furthermore, the flavour quotient was elevated with the generous smear of chimichurri on top. It was plenty garlicky, salty and herby. The side of domino potatoes were soft, yet firm enough to retain its shape with each slice. Lastly, there was a choice between a fruit dessert or a sinful platter of Chocolate Nemisis, Napoleon, Dulce de Leche and Lemon Tart. Guess what I chose? Starting off with the nemesis, it was rich and decadent. There was a muted sweetness sandwiched in between bitterness. I found the Napoleon really sweet while the dulce de leche to be even sweeter. It was creamy and rich though. My favourite was the lemon tart by far. The firm crust was buttery and texturally on point. As for the charred lemon curd, it was purposefully sweet while equally tangy. This was a sweet (literally) finish to an interesting meal that was definitely one-of-a-kind in Vancouver.
*All food, beverages and gratuities were comped*
The Good:
- One-of-a-kind experience
- Definitely enough food
The Bad:
- Rib eye was on the rare side (depending on your preference)
"It's a Pho-kinda day", pronounced Whipping Girl. Hence, the search was on for a Vietnamese joint that we hadn't tried yet. Much easier said than done because there are not many in Vancouver that still remain on the "to do" list. To her surprise, I had not been to Green Lemongrass on Kingsway despite its popularity. Well, the reason for that is simple - I've been to the location in Richmond and came away indifferent. But as I've said time and time again, each location of a chain needs to be judged independently as there are perceivable differences.
Well, the first difference was the decor as it was much more inviting than the "house" in Richmond. We decided to share both the Pho Dac Biet and Bun Bo Hue to start. Even though what you see in the picture was the large bowl, there really wasn't much substance to it. Ignoring that fact, the broth itself was clean where it was sweet and slightly aromatic. The noodles were chewy while the meats were fatty and tender. Even before we had a chance to attack the Bun Bo Hue, we could smell the shrimpiness. One sip of the soup and it was a veritable flavour explosion of lemongrass, seafoodiness and spice. One of the better bun bo hue broths I've had in quite awhile. Again, the amount of noodles was modest as well as the meats.
Whipping Girl insisted on ordering the Bo Bia consisting of Asian sausage, jicama, carrots, lettuce, caramelized onions, basil and crushed peanuts wrapped in rice paper. Was it the Asian sausage? I digress... Anyways, I've had this before and yes, it was pretty good this time around. It was tightly wrapped where the ingredients stayed put. The crunch of the fresh veggies was accented by the salty firm sausage and aromatics of the basil. Lastly, we had the Satay Beef and Spring Rolls with rice. We found the beef to be slightly chewy, yet completely saturated with flavour including huge lemongrass hits and smokiness from the char. The chewy rice was a perfect compliment. As for the spring rolls, they were a bit greasy and the filling was too loose. However, the rice wrapper was crispy while the filling was well-seasoned. As I've said before, different locations of the same restaurant can offer their own unique experiences. This time around, the Kingsway location of Green Lemongrass outdid the Richmond one.
The Good:
- Of the dishes we tried, the food was above-average
- Extensive menu
The Bad:
- The soup noodle portions were smaller than they looked
Due to the location of our Monday night softball games, it is often convenient for us to travel South for food. Yes, that means Richmond! However, this time around, I got some moans and groans when I could barely get the words "Rich..." out. I lost them at "hello"... er... I mean "Rich...". So still wanting something along the lines of a Hong Kong-style cafe, but staying in Vancouver, I had to think hard. That hurt my brain, but I was able to spit out BT Cafe out on Kingsway. We ended up making it just in time for last call... Now if we had gone to Richmond... the places would've been open late! Yikes! I'm saying nice things about Richmond!
For myself, I couldn't get out of there only ordering one dish, so I went for two beginning with the Fish Soup with Vermicelli accompanied by fish slices and ox tongue. This was a fairly good portion of chewy noodles in a unmistakable broth. It had the essence of fish with a whole lot of seasoning. I think they were a bit heavy with the MSG though. As for the fish slices, they were nicely tenderized. I found the ox tongue to be well-prepared as it was tender without loosing its meatiness. For my second dish, I tried the Salted Fish & Chicken Fried Rice. There was a decent amount of wok heat as the rice was chewy and nutty. For some odd reason, the rice was not dry though as it retained some moisture (could be the abundance of lettuce). There was no shortage of tender julienned chicken and small bits of salted fish. As a result, there was no absence of flavour either.
To my complete horror, Milhouse, Bam Bam, Bear and Judes all had the "choose your own items" meals. Bam Bam went for the rib eye steak, German sausage and chicken steak with black pepper sauce. I'm not sure if the sauce was actually black pepper as I couldn't see any and taste any for all that mattered. It was thick and flavourful though. Nothing was amiss with the proteins as the chicken was juicy and the steak being somewhat tender. Boss Woman had her usual Scrambled Eggs and Prawns atop flat rice noodles. When the dish hit the table, it made a big thud as it was huge. There was a eye-popping amount of crunchy large shrimp in a flavourful starch-thicken sauce on top of rice noodles. "Not bad", was the consensus from the table as the food hit the spot without costing an arm and a leg. I guess we didn't have to go to Richmond after all...
The Good:
- Decent eats
- Large portions
The Bad:
- It wasn't busy when we were there, but lack of servers might be a problem when its busy
- Food came out a bit slow
Looking for a light meal after watching Chef (great movie btw), Whipping Girl and I drove up and down Broadway to no avail. C'mon, it couldn't be that hard to find food along one of the busiest restaurant streets in Vancouver right? Wrong. There was indeed quantity, but the quality wasn't there as many were just not that interesting. Chalk that up to watching a movie about food... Funny how we ended up at Miura Waffle Milk Bar, despite all the other options (including an offer from Daily Slif who was heading to Farmer's Apprentice). Oh well, waffles for dinner it was gonna be!
We shared the Kachan Karaage with soy-ginger chicken, asian slaw & thousand island first. I remembered this one from Tasting Plates and since this was a full-sized version, there was much more juicy chicken karaage. It was pretty crunchy which was a nice contrast to the soft waffle. Personally, I would've preferred it to be crispier. The flavours were nice though with a sweet zip that lightened things up. Next, we had the Bulgogi with beef, egg sauce, kimchi & bulgogi sauce. This was even messier as the ingredients were more wet. Hence, the waffle actually began to crumble as we ate it. I did like the egg though as it added a soft fluffiness to the meat filling. Flavours included the sweetness of the sauce and slight spice and acidity from the kimchi.
Lastly, we had the Strawberries and Cream with chocolate sauce. This was actually not as sweet as it looked. The custard was mild and creamy while the whipped cream was more of a filler. There was a modest amount of chocolate to go with the ripe strawberries. Nothing particularly amazing, but decent nonetheless. Hence, if one goes in with reasonable expectations and ignoring the hype (it's been on Gotta Eat Here), the experience could be a decent one. But just don't expect anything else.
The Good:
- Something interesting
- We got great service
The Bad:
- Waffles are a bit crumbly rather than fluffy
- Not particularly cheap
Having enjoyed the movie Chef thoroughly the first time, I decided to take Viv (along with Costanza and Elaine) and watch it again. I'm not sure what other people think of it, but I liked it just as much the second time around. Since Costanza was really hungry prior to the movie, he ended up eating and did not have an appetite to eat afterwards. But that didn't mean Viv and I would pass up food, so we traveled to The Drive in search of eats. Randomly, we stopped at Ginger Sushi for a quick bite.
Neatly arranged, the plentiful slices of sashimi completely hid the sushi rice in the Chirashi Don. And about that rice, it was chewy while still moist. Best of all, it had an apparent rice wine vinegar hit as well as sweetness. The large slices of sashimi were pretty much on point, except the tuna could've been colder in temperature. Next up was the Gyoza which looked disturbingly pale. However, it featured a crispy bottom to our surprise. We weren't sure how they did that despite the lack of browning. As for the filling, it was cabbage-heavy while being slightly mushy.
We also tried the Appetizer Tempura which was actually larger than implied on the menu. Despite featuring only one ebi, there was 2 really large pieces of sweet potato accompanied by one each of yam and onion. We found the batter to be crispy and light. The dip was a bit too sweet for our tastes though. Lastly, we had the Sakura Roll that was sliced thinly into 11 pieces. It was made with spicy tuna and prawn tempura with salmon and special sauce on top. There was a noticeable spice to it and the rice was minimal while the tempura prawn retained some crispiness. Despite only have 4 dishes, it was enough for us to designate Ginger Sushi as a little hidden gem amongst the many restaurants along The Drive.
The Good:
- Carefully prepared sushi and sashimi
- Great people
- Reasonably-priced
The Bad:
- Really small, keep you party below 5
Posts
