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It's becoming increasingly clear that our eating habits have greatly affected the availability of certain seafood items. For instance, the once plentiful rock fish found in BC waters has nearly disappeared due to over-consumption. 10 years ago, the Ocean Wise program started out to promote sustainable seafood choices. To celebrate this milestone, Chef Robert Clark (who helped pioneer Ocean Wise) and chef Quang Dang collaborated on an anniversary dinner at West Restaurant. I was invited to help celebrate this achievement by dining on delicious creations consisting of Ocean Wise seafood.
After a round of delicious appetizers, we were seated to begin the 6-course tasting menu. We were presented with the Side Stripe Shrimp Ceviche to start. It was elegantly plated with aji amarillo, baby greens and a drizzle of EVOO. These were buttery and sweet with a subtle meatiness. The natural aroma of the shrimp really came through while the slight acidity added some brightness. Next up, we had the Albacore Tuna Tataki with nori scone, salmon roe, sesame vinaigrette and cucumber salad. The beautifully seared tuna was soft and buttery while maintaining some texture. The fresh cucumbers provided crunch and brightness. What brought the whole dish together was the aromatic sesame dressing that had a nice balancing acidity.
Onto the a predominantly green-themed dish, we dug into the Dungeness Crab Tortellini with English peas, mint and watercress sauce. The oversized tortellini featured firm and toothsome pasta while stuffed with a plethora of fluffy and sweet crab. Texturally, the crab was on point with an appealing rebound texture. As for the sauce, it was a touch spicy and acidic with a mild pepperiness. Pops of sweetness was provided by the firm peas. Transitioning to the next dish, we also found more green in the Chive Crusted Cape Scott Halibut served with crushed fava beans and fingering potatoes, Northern caviar vinaigrette and chive puree. Expertly prepared, the halibut was flaky and moist sporting a lightly crisped exterior. The sweet vinaigrette was offset by the salty and briny caviar. The herbal essence of the chive remained in the background ensuring the halibut could stand on its own.
From one fish to another, we tackled the Wild BC Sablefish a la Plancha. Underneath, there was a mix of pickled mushrooms and seaweed, braised daikon and wilted spinach in a dashi broth. Flaky and buttery, the sablefish melted in my mouth. It was marginally seasoned where the sweet dashi broth did all the heavy lifting. Although quite sugary on its own, the broth was counteracted by the pickled mushrooms and veggies on the plate. Onto dessert, we were served Fresh Raspberries atop a white chocolate mousse and buttermilk brioche. This was accompanied by a floral syrup and raspberry sorbet. The raspberries were fresh and ripe that went well with the creamy and only purposefully sweet mousse. Directly underneath, the caramel crunch added texture and the necessary sugar content. I wasn't a huge fan of the brioche as it was rather dense and hard. However, this was the only thing I could possibly criticize. The meal was practically flawless with well-thought out flavours and progression. Here's to Ocean Wise and many more anniversaries.
*All food, beverages and gratuities were complimentary*
Ever since Yoshoku-Ya closed up shop only to reappear as 29th Ave Cafe, there weren't a whole lot of options when it came to Japanese-style Western cuisine. Now that 29th Ave Cafe is also long gone, that really limits our options. What we are essentially left with is Cafe L'Orangerie out in Marpole. I've tried visiting their old location on Granville a few years back, but they closed before we could make it after our softball game. Well, we finally made it before closing at their new location on 73rd and Hudson.
Since we were pretty famished from losing our softball game, we started with some appies including the Poutine Orangerie-Style with homemade beef stew sauce with mozzarella atop Cavendish fries. Despite relying on Costco fries, they were prepared crispy and held up well to the sauce. I found the sauce to be rather thick and mild-tasting with bits of ground beef, onion and mushrooms. There was a good amount of cheese though. Next up was the Chicken Karaage which consisted of aggressively battered pieces of dark meat. As such, it was succulent and pretty juicy. The crunchy batter was properly seasoned where there was enough saltiness without the need for much mayo.
Rather than having one entree each, we decided to share everything as a table. Arriving first was the Baked Chicken Curry Doria with a cheesy cream sauce on top of rice and baked. This was extremely cheesy and rich where there wasn't really much sauce. There was some saltiness from the cheese to flavour the dish while the chicken was a little dry. The chewy rice underneath was soaked in the limited amount of cream sauce. I felt we needed to try a Japanese curry so we got the Curry with Pork Cutlet. The cutlet itself was thick and nicely breaded where it was crunchy while keeping the moisture in (hence, the pork was tender and moist). I wasn't a huge fan of the curry though as it was more akin to a split pea soup with very little in distinguishing flavours. I didn't get much curry and in fact, I didn't even get much of that classic sweetness associated with Japanese curries.
Milhouse thought the Hashed Beef Stew de Creamy Spaghetti and Hamburger Steak looked interesting on the menu (especially with the majestic picture). Well, the spaghetti was pretty good being somewhat toothsome and completely coated with a thick cream sauce. It wasn't particularly flavourful, but the textures were appealing. As for the hamburger steak, it was far too loose with too much filler in the form of onions. I prefer the firmer versions with only a little onion, not the amount in this one. The beef stew was the same as the poutine and it was lacking in depth. We also had another serving of the steak in the Hashed Beef Stew Special with 2 fried prawns and rice. However, the sauce on top was pretty sweet and thick, which made the dish one note in flavour. This time, the steak was breaded and fried, which added some texture, but ultimately, the meat was still mushy.
Our last savoury dish was the Chicken Nanban. Although the tempura batter on the outside was crunchy, it slid off each piece of chicken pretty easily. Despite this, the chicken itself was moist. We found the sauce to be more sweet than sour while the side of tartar was creamy with some tartness from the pickles. Moving onto dessert, we sampled 3 items on Bear's insistence. I gave the Strawberry Roll a try first and if I had to compare, this version falls far behind the one from Cake-Ya. First of all, the sponge cake was wet and soggy while the whipped cream was a bit clumpy. Second, there was just not enough strawberries. This could've been partially due to being late in the day.
Exhibiting the effects of being subjected to high heat and rushed in the cooking process, the Homemade Caramel Pudding was far from smooth. In fact, air bubbles afflicted the custard from top to bottom which made for a rough texture. It did taste okay though with some rich caramel hits without being too sugary. Lastly, the Berry Mochi Parfait with macerated strawberries and blackberries with mochi balls, rolled oats and ice cream. This was a fairly simple dessert where the soft mochi balls stood out. Otherwise, the berries were fresh and sweet that went well with the ice cream. Overall, we though the food at Cafe de L'Orangerie was okay, but lacking slightly in all dishes. By no means did we dislike the food, it's just that everything could've been better in some way.
The Good:
- Decent portions
- Although hurried, staff are friendly
- Something different
The Bad:
- Dishes are okay, but can be better
- Not expensive, but not cheap either
There are certain restaurants that I get wind of due to social media and/or blog posts. But I tend to set them aside in my mind for another day (because I don't want to overload my brain, it will crash due to lack of RAM). So when we were scheduled to visit Hakkasan Bistro for a ChineseBites dinner, I wasn't really aware where it was located. I have always assumed it was situated in restaurant central aka #3 Road (or accidene central to some). Little did I know that it would be smack dab in the middle of a predominantly industrial area on #5 Road near the International Night Market.
Let's just say one wouldn't expect such a nice little place would exist amongst auto modification shops (actually, I almost missed the restaurant because I was admiring all the nice tricked-out cars...). So onto the food, we were presented with the Honey Roasted Pork Cheeks which did its best impersonation of BBQ pork. Now unlike BBQ Pork, the meat was much more uniform in texture with the classic rebound and buttery chewiness. Sweet with definite caramelization, the cheeks featured an appealing bark on the outside. With what I can only describe as one of the best dishes I've had in a long time, we were served one Whole Coconut Pork & Snow Fungus Soup each. Normally, most serving vessels are meant for visuals and wow factor. Not in this case as the sweet flavourful chicken broth took on the aromatics of coconut. Each nugget of pork was succulent while the crunch of the snow fungus added texture. The best part was when we scraped off the tender coconut meat on the inside, pure enjoyment right there.
Majestically-plated, the Steamed Odorless Garlic Lobster atop Jasmine rice was served next. As much as there was a significant amount of minced garlic enveloping the pieces of lobster, the taste was subtle and yes "odorless". I was a bit torn with this as I appreciated the fact Viv would still kiss me when I got home, but at the same time, the dish was missing pungency. Despite this, the lobster itself was cooked beautifully being tender with the classic rebound texture. As for the rice, I felt there was too much of it where there wasn't enough lobster juices to go around. Furthermore, it was mushy due to the moisture involved. Possibly a fried rice base would've been better. On the other hand, the rice was necessary for the subsequent dishes such as the Ancient Style Salt Baked Chicken. Wrapped in parchment, buried with salt and baked in a clay pot, the result was a intensely-flavoured chicken which exhibited a concentrated natural sweetness accented by the saltiness. The meat was also moist as the chicken cooked in its own juices.
The wow factor continued with the really large Braised Pork Hock served with mini-mantou. I took the reigns in divvying it up and for the most part, it cut like butter. Naturally, there were some drier parts due to the lack of fat or collagen. Yet, the majority of the meat was gelatinous and fork tender. It was also well-seasoned with the silky sauce (thanks not only to starch, but the gelatin from the pork hock) having a sweeter flavour. With all this meat, it was only a matter of time we moved onto a veggie dish (well, if we wanted a more balanced meal that is...). It happened to be the Stir-Fried Yau Choy dressed with a mui choy "sauce". I put sauce in quotations because it was more like a glaze with bits of salty pickled mui choy. The yau choy was cooked up properly (albeit a touch greasy) where it retained a vibrant crunch as well as retaining a rich green colour.
Next, we were presented with the Hakka Homestyle Steamed Egg with ground pork and salted duck egg yolk. I make this dish at home often, but this one was much more refined with silky egg that did not exhibit any air bubbles nor excess water. Hidden inside was well-spread out and moist ground pork while the whole thing was topped with stir-fried salted duck yolk. Our last savouy item was the Stir-fried Fish with Pickled Cabbage. I felt this was the weakest dish of the meal as there was far too much grease. The entire dish felt heavy and was not pleasing to the palate. As much as the fish was flaky and moist, the exterior was completely oil-logged. Furthermore, the dish was over-seasoned being quite salty.
We ended off things with a light dessert being the Steamed Milk Egg White Custard. It was extremely delicate and beyond silky. What I mean is that the custard almost had no texture at all, hence it ate very easy. In terms of taste, there was very little sugar which meat I could actually taste the egg whites. This was probably the best way to finish off what was heavy meal. Overall, I was quite impressed with several of the dishes including the pork cheek, coconut soup and steamed egg. It definitely piques my interest where I would probably be back to investigate the menu further.
*All food, beverages and gratuities were complimentary*
The Good:
- Some good flavours at work
- Nice little dining space
The Bad:
- A little out of the way
- Stir-fried items heavy on the grease
As much as the return of these ChineseBites dinners and assorted other food adventures have been good, there is a certain level of anticipation for the "large Chinese restaurant multi-course meals". Why? Well, other than special occasions, it isn't often that I go for a Chinese meal that includes all of the usual proteins and a good amount of seafood. So the most recent ChineseBites extravaganza occurred at Shiang Garden where I enjoyed the company of Sean, Grace, Rick, Diana, Kirsty and Nancy.
Things got started with Prawn Salad with melon and sweet mayo served in a half papaya. The 2 large butterflied cold-water prawns exhibited a classic crunch and snap that was accented by just enough mayo. Normally, I hate mayo with prawns and fruit, but this one wasn't too bad. Also, I'm not a huge fan of papaya, but for some reason, the ripeness was appealing. Next up was Sauteed Mixed Seafood consisting of large scallops, prawns and sea cucumber innards. Completing the dish was snow peas, flowering chives and a garnish of sliced cucumber and orange. I felt the seafood was cooked nicely where the scallops were buttery while the prawns ate with a snap. As much as the sea cucumber innards were just barely done, they were a touch chewier than usual. The whole dish was lightly seasoned with a starch-thickened glaze.
From there, we moved onto the Tremella with Chicken & Crab Meat Soup. For those unfamiliar, tremella is a white fungus that has similar qualities as wood ear mushrooms except with a lighter crunch and with little-to-no flavour. Rather than using something like shark's fin or bird's nest, they were able to create a soup that possessed the same qualities (as in texture). The soup base was powerful with big hits of sweetness and salt. I found the thickness to be just right being silky while still "soupy". Next, we were presented with the Diced Beef Tenderloin with Honey & Pepper. Framed by a heart-shaped sliced cucumber garnish, the stir fry was flavourful. It had nice complimentary flavours from the sweet honey and the pepper. However, the beef itself was over-tenderized where it no longer had a meaty texture.
With our meat dish interlude out-of-the-way, we proceeded back to the seafood highway with the Steamed Spot Prawns with Garlic. I loved the presentation as the split-down-the-middle prawns were effectively seasoned by the minced garlic and scallions. However, this method resulted in meat that lost some of its trademark texture. On the other hand, the meat was sweet and unmistakeably spot prawn. Our next item was the Lobster with Salted Egg Yolk. Normally, this dish can go one of 2 ways - either it can be aromatic and flavourful or wet and sloppy. Thankfully this one was the former as the significant amount of salted egg yolk was cooked until nearly dry (while at the same time retaining some moisture). This resulted in rich saltiness that went well with the sweet lobster.
Back to another intermission, we had the Whole Chicken with Abalone Sauce. Looking very much like a soy chicken, this ate almost as such but with the aid of a side of abalone sauce. I decided to try both the white and dark meat to see if they were able to keep the whole chicken moist. That they did. Although the meat itself was lacking in inherent seasoning, one dunk into the sauce and there was enough saltiness and brininess to taste. Yes and back to the seafood, we tackled the BC Dungeness Crab with White Wine Sauce. Steaming crab can seem simple, but there is no way of hiding any mistakes with this cooking process. Well, they nailed it with fluffy crab flavoured with just enough wine to add a finish from the initial salty-sweetness.
From here, we went back to the red meat with Lamb Chop with Honey & Pepper. This dish looked impressive, yet we could've done without the nearly raw onion garnish. As for the lamb chops, they were meaty and super tender. Possibly too tender as they exhibited the same texture as the beef tenderloin. We would've liked to see more of a natural meatiness to go with the beautiful sweet and peppery glaze. Since a picture of a large piece of braised pork belly (Dong Bao Yuk) might not look impressive, I took a cut into it. While doing so, I noticed it was somewhat difficult to do, partly because of the blunt knife and partially since the meat portion of the belly was meaty rather than melt-in-my-mouth tender. Whatever the case, it was still sinfully buttery while lightly seasoned by the silky sweet sauce.
One last seafood offering was the En-Ping Style Whole Tilapia. Deboned into bite sized portions, the fish was soft and somewhat flaky (as tilapia tends to be on the mushier side naturally). With a bevy of scallions, peppers, green chilis and cilantro, there was enough complimentary flavours that added to the mild-tasting fish. In addition, the sweet soy added the necessary saltiness. Our one vegetarian item was the Buddha's Feast Cabbage Roll. Carefully plated, the cabbage rolls were filled with carrots, wood ear mushrooms and enoki. It was not subjected to over-cooking which kept the veggies crisp and vibrant. Flavours were rather mild due to these ingredients, but it was a nice break from all the meat dishes we had.
For dessert, we were served 2 items including the Baked Durian Pastry and Osmanthus Flower Cake Pudding. For many, durian is both smelly and unappealing. I personally don't mind it and actually enjoy the pungent sweetness. This was exemplified with the flaky and buttery pastry filled with a good amount of sweet durian. As for the flower cake pudding, it was a light gelatin with an equally light taste. It was not sugary at all with a floral essence. This was a low-key finish to a feast that had its fair share of seafood. Overall, all of the proteins were properly executed in terms of the cooking process. There was some over-tenderization of the red meats though, but that is pretty common for Cantonese cuisine.
*All food, beverages and gratuities were complimentary*
The Good:
- Well-prepared proteins
- Proper wok heat for stir-fried dishes
- Well-seasoned
The Bad:
- Some meats were over-tenderized
There was a time when Memphis Blues was on constant meal rotation when we lived in Yaletown. Being super busy with work, we'd just be lazy and get takeout from their original Broadway location. With that, we've experienced the good, the bad and the ugly. You see, when meats are smoked/prepared ahead of time (because they have to be), there will be inconsistencies. Also, for those BBQ purists who would like to add the usual jeers and/or hurl insults at Memphis, please do so now. However, we live in Vancouver and really, there are not a whole lot of places to choose from. Hence, when Peppermint wanted BBQ, we visited the South Surrey location because there was really nothing else in the neighbourhood.
Of course the best way to experience Memphis Blues or any BBQ for all that matters is to get a platter. That we did with the Elvis Platter which included all the meats and sides. About those sides, the Fries were hot and crispy. Coleslaw, Potato Salad, BBQ Beans and Corn Bread rounded out the compliments. I dug into the smoked Pork Ribs first and they were actually decently moist with a nice flavourful bark. For those who are familiar with chain restaurant BBQ ribs, these were not par-boiled first hence they were predictably more dry. Also fatty and moist was the Smoked Brisket which also sported a smoky bark. Right beside it, there was the usual helping of Smoked Sausage which was juicy on the inside with a nice snap from the casing.
Moving around the platter, we found the mound of Pulled Pork doused with their house BBQ sauce. Smoky with mesquite, the sauce also exhibited an equal amount of sweetness from the molasses and some zing from the vinegar. Similar to the other items, the pork was actually moist even without the help of the BBQ sauce. Next to it, the Half Chicken was pretty decent where the dark meat was moist while the white meat was typically dry, but not overly so. The skin was nicely seasoned and well-rendered. Lastly, the Rib Ends were the driest meat of the bunch, but that was expected. For some inexplicable reason, we got a plate of Pulled Pork Poutine for kicks. Well, it essentially was what we had on our platter already except for the addition of shredded mozzarella. Okay, up until this visit, my previous trips to Memphis Blues had been mediocre at best. But somehow, due to dumb luck, timing (we were first for lunch) or possibly the care of the staff at this location, the food was relatively good.
The Good:
- Despite the increase in prices over the last 15 years, the platters are still a good value IMO
- This time around, the meats were on point
The Bad:
- Can be wildly inconsistent
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It's becoming increasingly clear that our eating habits have greatly affected the availability of certain seafood items. For instance, the once plentiful rock fish found in BC waters has nearly disappeared due to over-consumption. 10 years ago, the Ocean Wise program started out to promote sustainable seafood choices. To celebrate this milestone, Chef Robert Clark (who helped pioneer Ocean Wise) and chef Quang Dang collaborated on an anniversary dinner at West Restaurant. I was invited to help celebrate this achievement by dining on delicious creations consisting of Ocean Wise seafood.
After a round of delicious appetizers, we were seated to begin the 6-course tasting menu. We were presented with the Side Stripe Shrimp Ceviche to start. It was elegantly plated with aji amarillo, baby greens and a drizzle of EVOO. These were buttery and sweet with a subtle meatiness. The natural aroma of the shrimp really came through while the slight acidity added some brightness. Next up, we had the Albacore Tuna Tataki with nori scone, salmon roe, sesame vinaigrette and cucumber salad. The beautifully seared tuna was soft and buttery while maintaining some texture. The fresh cucumbers provided crunch and brightness. What brought the whole dish together was the aromatic sesame dressing that had a nice balancing acidity.
Onto the a predominantly green-themed dish, we dug into the Dungeness Crab Tortellini with English peas, mint and watercress sauce. The oversized tortellini featured firm and toothsome pasta while stuffed with a plethora of fluffy and sweet crab. Texturally, the crab was on point with an appealing rebound texture. As for the sauce, it was a touch spicy and acidic with a mild pepperiness. Pops of sweetness was provided by the firm peas. Transitioning to the next dish, we also found more green in the Chive Crusted Cape Scott Halibut served with crushed fava beans and fingering potatoes, Northern caviar vinaigrette and chive puree. Expertly prepared, the halibut was flaky and moist sporting a lightly crisped exterior. The sweet vinaigrette was offset by the salty and briny caviar. The herbal essence of the chive remained in the background ensuring the halibut could stand on its own.
From one fish to another, we tackled the Wild BC Sablefish a la Plancha. Underneath, there was a mix of pickled mushrooms and seaweed, braised daikon and wilted spinach in a dashi broth. Flaky and buttery, the sablefish melted in my mouth. It was marginally seasoned where the sweet dashi broth did all the heavy lifting. Although quite sugary on its own, the broth was counteracted by the pickled mushrooms and veggies on the plate. Onto dessert, we were served Fresh Raspberries atop a white chocolate mousse and buttermilk brioche. This was accompanied by a floral syrup and raspberry sorbet. The raspberries were fresh and ripe that went well with the creamy and only purposefully sweet mousse. Directly underneath, the caramel crunch added texture and the necessary sugar content. I wasn't a huge fan of the brioche as it was rather dense and hard. However, this was the only thing I could possibly criticize. The meal was practically flawless with well-thought out flavours and progression. Here's to Ocean Wise and many more anniversaries.
