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"Bakery Sate". What's in a name? If you think this sounds like a Malaysian joint specializing in grilled skewers of meat and roti, it couldn't be further from the truth. Without the acute accent on the "e" in Sate, the word is a shortened version of "satiate". Hence, the place is actually a French bakery that is the brain child of Eric Ho, a graduate of the Pacific Institute of the Culinary Arts. Viv and I were invited to visit the newly-opened store on the Southern edge of The Drive to sample some their pastries made from all-natural ingredients.
We tried the Hazelnut Scroll first where it was buttery and flaky. Employing the same methodology as a croissant, but in a different shape, it exhibited the same qualities as well. However, in this case, there was a nutty sweetness as well as a sugary (but not overly sweet) crust on top. Next up was the Raspberry Vanilla Napoleon with house-made puff pastry, vanilla bean diplomat cream and fresh raspberries. This was relatively light (in texture) with defined crispy layers. The cream was smooth, airy and semi-sweet with the background hint of vanilla bean.
Onto another type of pastry, we headed off to a selection of choux starting with the Paris Brest. This consisted of a sliced ringed almond choux pastry filled with praline cream. It exhibited a light airy interior contrasted by a lightly crisp almond topped exterior. Inside, the smooth and purposefully sweet almond cream had a nice aromatic finish. On the same plate was the JJ Bean Espresso Puff with a texturally pleasing streusel topping. As much as the light diplomat cream was pleasant, it could've used more espresso. We had one more cream puff in the Mango Coconut Puff with mango and coconut custard cream. Again, the light choux was nicely accented by the crunchy streusel topping. Inside, the custard cream was aromatic and not overly sweet. We would've preferred to see a thicker custard though. Moving onto the New York Style Cheesecake with hazelnut shortbread crust, I was a happy camper. In the classic style, the cheesecake was rich and full of cream cheese smoothness. It was only sweet enough with a slight tart finish.
With the table beside us eying our bevy of sweets (they must've thought we were nuts...), we moved onto the Strawberry Frasier comprised of gluten-free chiffon, strawberry mousseline, strawberries and white chocolate parfait. This was a study in varying soft textures and differing sweetness. We found the gluten-free chiffon to be slightly denser than the regular version, but good nonetheless. Overall, we found the cake to be a bit too sweet as some of the different flavours were muddled as a result. In a beautiful hue of green, the Matcha Black Sesame was also pretty sweet. It was comprised of gluten-free dacquoise and chiffon, real black sesame mousseline and matcha white chocolate parfait. Again, with a layered cake, an array of flavours and textures were at play. I especially liked the black sesame as it exhibited its unmistakable aromatic nuttiness.
Nearing the end, we sampled a Coconut Macaroon, Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie and Canelé. Not to be confused with a Macaron, the Macaroon was sweet, chewy and coconutty. As for the cookie, it was surprisingly good for gluten-free. Predominantly comprised of rice flour, the cookie ate, well, like a cookie. It was crunchy and only slightly dry. There was massive amount of chocolate chips which made it pretty sweet. Lastly, we had the
Canelé which was probably one of our favourites. With a hard caramelized crust (and a bit smoky) revealing a soft, custardy filling that was purposefully sweet, we liked the well-defined textures. Overall, we enjoyed our visit to Bakery Sate. Other than some sandwiches and croissants, we sampled almost everything that they had. Their location at the edge of The Drive keeps things low-key which works as a nice place to grab a drink and some treats.
*All food and beverages were comped*
The Good:
- Offering up some gluten-free items
- Reasonable-pricing
- Carefully made pastries
The Bad:
- A little heavy on the sugar on some items
- Relatively modest selection
- Decor a bit spartan
On our way back from Semiahmoo, it looked like we'd need to stop for dinner somewhere along the way home. Seeing how White Rock/South Surrey was the first place we'd pass after the border crossing, that made the most sense. In fact, I had remembered an email from a reader suggesting that we try out Pho 777. Yah, Pho and White Rock are not necessarily the first 2 things that come to mind. But we were hungry and not really in the mood to figure anything else out. As we approached the front door, we could smell BBQ lemongrass wafting towards us. A good sign if you ask me...
We ended up sharing a few items starting with the Grilled Minced Pork, Lemongrass Chicken & BBQ Short Ribs on Rice. This monster plate of food was covered in meat with chewy rice underneath. Unlike other places, the lemongrass really came through in terms of aroma and taste with the moist, well-charred chicken. The ribs were smoky and well-seasoned with a balance between sweet and savoury. Firm and bursting with hits of salt and sugar, the minced pork was a touch dry. Our next item was the Pho Dac Biet which featured a impactful broth. Laced with MSG, there was a pronounced sweetness as well as meaty and anise notes. The meats were sliced super-thin being tender.
Next up was the Grilled Chicken and Spring Roll Vermicelli Bowl. This was another well-portioned dish consisting of nicely charred chicken that was still moist inside. The spring rolls were crunchy and hot with moist filling that was mildly sweet. Interestingly, the vermicelli underneath was smoking hot where we had to wait for it to cool. As a result, it got a bit soggy though. Lastly, we had the Banh Mi Dac Biet which was stuffed with a good amount of meat. The bread was crusty, yet a touch dense. There was sufficient pate, but it wasn't very pronounced. The same could be said for the pickled carrots as they were only slightly tart and sweet. A few drops of fish sauce helped bring the sandwich alive though. Okay, I gotta hand it to the person who recommended the place... The food is indeed good while the portion size and prices hit all the right notes as well.
The Good:
- Above-average eats
- Large portions
The Bad:
- A touch heavy with the MSG
- Restaurant layout inhibits the staff from seeing if certain tables need attention
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
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