skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Generally, the most obvious place for possible good eats is the standard full-service restaurant. However, there is also a good chance that this can be found at a food court or food truck as well. Heck, even some fast food outlets offer up some solid experiences. On the other hand, we often overlook catering companies as we only ever think about them when there is a wedding or some corporate event. So with that in mind, I was intrigued by the invite I received recently from Sugar Mountain Catering. They were serving up an 8-course meal at the Arundel Mansion in New West. I ended up joining Grace, Emily, Carolyn, Amy, Diana, Joyce and Kirsty
We began with an amuse bouche consisting of a Crostini graced with cured Roma tomato and basil encrusted chevre. It was finished off table side by a drizzle of 25-year aceto balsamico. If an amuse is supposed to whet one's appetite, then this was a success as it was loaded with bright acidic flavours. The tomato was tart, sweet and impactful while the balsamic added another shot of sweet acidity with depth. As for the chevre, there was enough of it to provide a creamy and smooth balance with the herbaceous hit of basil.
Our first course was the Maple Hills Farms Free-Range Chicken Consumme with vermouth, spring morels, foie gras, mirepoix, vegetables and pate feuilletee. Beyond the fairly thin crispy puff pastry, we found a broth that was steaming hot, yet very mild in flavour. I did get some woodsiness from the morels and brightness from the crunchy veggies, however, a sprinkle of salt really helped bring the broth alive. Next up was the Braised Fraser Valley Beef Cheek and Bone Marrow Custard with Italian parsley, fleur del sel, pink Himalayan salt, glace viande and grilled bruschetta. This was hands-down a fan favourite. Buttery and decadent, the custard hid little tender morsels of beef cheek that were like pockets of surprises. Despite the full-bodied glace viande on top, the accompanying salt was necessary to amp the flavours.
Presented in a martini glass, we found Dungeness Crabmeat with grilled asparagus and Pemberton Valley fingerling potato dressed in a grain mustard vinaigrette. There was no shortage of fresh fluffy crab that was nicely seasoned which gave way to a creamy mustardy finish. The vibrant asparagus, tender potatoes and firm peas offered up different textures and sweetness to the dish. A somewhat surprising dish was the Gulf Island Pink Shrimp Perogies. It was garnished with wild Sockeye belly bacon, ikura caviar and sour cream along with truffle butter. Despite being thick, the dumpling skin was tender and soft. The buttery shrimp were nice, but did get lost amongst the dough. There was a nice balance of seasoning where the sweetness of the shrimp was accented by the salmon bacon.
The only dish I wasn't particularly fond of was the Nori-Wrapped Tempura Ahi Tuna with shiso oil, uni cream and ponzu daikon sprouts. The dish was beautiful to look at with the perfectly prepared tuna, but in terms of texture, it didn't work. I found the tuna to be overly firm and underseasoned. Despite the tempura batter on the outside, there wasn't the textural contrast I was expecting. Furthermore, the uni cream was a no show, but the shiso oil was quite aromatic. Onto another fish course, we had the Poached Filet of Smoked Wild BC Sablefish. It was accompanied by half a Fanny Bay oyster, brandade gratin, fennel, bacon and rosemary infused veloute. The buttery sablefish was smokey and salty. This flavours were further reinforced by the aggressively seasoned and creamy veloute. I really liked the buttery oyster as the brininess provided a departure from the salt.
With our last savoury course, we were served the Roast Rack of Salt Spring Island Lamb with Chianti syrup, sauteed fiddleheads and roasted spring vegetable couscous en cocotte. I really enjoyed this as the lamb was expertly prepared medium-rare. Tender and juicy, the lamb was unfortunately a bit underseasoned. Even with the syrup, it wasn't particularly flavourful. On the other hand, the rib portion of the lamb was more tasty due to the fat content and the proximaty of the herbs.
For our sweet course, we were presented with a Dessert Troika consisting of Cashew and Cardamom-Spiced Love Cake with coconut ice cream, Jackfruit Tarte Tartin and Belgian Chocolate-Raspberry Pot de Creme. Interestingly, the pot de creme had a bit of a kick to go with the rich chocolate. I liked how it wasn't overly sweet. The same couldn't be said about the tarte tartin as it was sweet with a slight tang. Not sure if the puff pastry base was that appealing. As for the love cake, it was aromatic and moist with a bit of buttery nuttiness. It went well with the creamy coconut ice cream. At this point the meal had lasted over 3 hours, then again, there was 10 courses in all if we included the amuse and palate cleanser. Overall, the food was pretty good, especially given the limited kitchen facilities of the venue.
*All food, drinks and gratuities were complimentary*
The Good:
- Well-executed proteins
- Fairly interesting menu
The Bad:
- Some dishes required more seasoning
- Due to the limited kitchen facilities, the meal was pretty long
Hong-Kong style cafes have been a part of my life since I was a young'un. Think of it, who doesn't salivate at the though of ketchup-based sauces that are versatile enough to double as pasta sauce? Or how about a hot dog wiener posing as a breakfast sausage? How about macaroni in soup qualifying as a breakfast item? Yes, the beloved HK-style cafe, misunderstood by many, but loved by the ones who grew up on it. One of the originals, which also happens to be one of the fancier spots, Goucester on Cambie has survived all these years including the building of the Canada Line.
We used to go here all-the-time, but not as often since we moved to Burnaby. But due to some loyalty coupons, we accompanied my parents on 2 separate occasions. On our first visit, we went with a stir-fry dish being the Vermicelli with Pork and Pickled Vegetable. This was a bit wet, yet still had decent wok heat. Noodles were al dente, but the large amount of peppers dominated the dish (in not so appealing manner). In true HK-style cafe fashion, we got the Mixed Grill on a hot cast iron plate. It consisted of minute steak, pork chop, lamb rack, smokie, fried basa, fried egg, veggies, fries and gravy (black pepper in this case). Pretty standard stuff except the lamb was really tender while the fish was flaky. Due to the thinness of the steak, it was well-done. The accompanying black pepper sauce was peppery and also salty.
In addition to a baked pork chop rice (which I'll talk about later from our second visit), we had the Seafood Penne Cream Pasta. This was classic HK-style cafe style with a starch-thicken cream sauce that was mild and slightly sweet. There was an array of seafood including shrimp, mussels, fish and imitation crab. This was okay, but hardly flavourful. Looking rather pale and unappetizing, the Salmon Salad was better than it appeared. With the skin removed, we assumed the salmon would be dry, but it was actually moist and flaky. However, it wasn't particularly flavourful though. The side of thousand islands dressing was the main seasoning for the dish.
With our second visit, we shared the Free-Range Hainanese Chicken with rice. Being free-range, the meat was fairly chewy, but still tender and not-dried out. The skin was nicely gelatinized and well-seasoned. Surprisingly, the chicken oil rice was on point being nutty, chewy and flavourful. Just like last time, I was not particularly enamored by the Baked Pork Chop Rice as it was overloaded with onions. Hence, the flavour profile had this raw onion finish. On the positive side, the pork chop was large and tender while the sauce was mild and creamy.
For myself, I got the Prime Rib with baked potato. For me, it looked more rare than medium rare which I requested. As such, it was not particularly easy to eat as it was thick-cut. I found the meat to chewy where only the cap was tender. The meat wasn't particularly seasoned well either, but the side of jus helped in that regard. This was a fail in my books. Viv went for the Braised Duck Leg and Cod. I liked duck leg as it was tender, silky and moist. It was well-seasoned from the braise where the sauce wasn't necessary. As for the cod, it was fairly flaky and moist, but in need of more salt.
For good measure, we got another HK-style cafe classic in the Baked Spaghetti Bolognese. Naturally, this was not the classic recipe, but it was fairly decent. The meat sauce was thick, full of meat, carrots and a touch of star anise. The noodles were not too over done while the light amount of cheese ensured it wasn't too greasy. As much as I've had great memories here at Cafe Gloucester, it seems to me that after these 2 visits, the food ain't really worth the extra cost. It isn't bad per se, but I can get better elsewhere for less.
The Good:
- Large selection
- Decent service
- Some good dishes
The Bad:
- Overall, food is hit and miss
- A bit pricier than other HK-style cafes
Last week, I finally posted the Dim Sum service at Yue Delicacy. The significance? Well, it was one of the few remaining Dim Sum spots in Richmond that I haven't eaten at. There are some more including the really expensive Fortune Terrace (need to visit the ATM first). Until then, we headed over to Garden City Hot Pot to strike another off my list. I've been here briefly before during last year's Chinese Restaurant Awards to try their Haw Gow. Finally, we got to sit down and have a complete meal.
One of the things that sets Garden City Hot Pot from the rest of the other Dim Sum spots in town is that they offer Individual Teas that steep in a traditional zhong caj. One chooses their loose leaf tea and then add boiling hot water (in a kettle atop the induction burner at the table). Novel and resulting in really good tea, it does cost a pretty penny though per person. Onto the food, the menu is fairly limited, but enough for all intents and purposes. The first to come out, to the delight of my son, was the Shrimp Spring Rolls. These were aesthetically-pleasing as well as being on point. They were crunchy with buttery shrimp that exhibited a light snap while mildly seasoned. Usually, I find the layer of seaweed a hindrance, but it wasn't in this case.
Next up was the Special House Noodles prepared crispy with a considerable amount of ingredients on top. I found them to be a mish mash of things including shrimp, scallop, chicken, fish cake and Vietnamese ham. Despite the considerable amount of starch-thickened sauce, it worked as the noodles were pretty crispy and needed the moisture. However, there was a general lack of flavour to the dish as we needed some red vinegar to kick things up. I found that the Stuffed Eggplant & Tofu to be just as bland as the black bean sauce was more of a garnish rather than a flavouring agent. With that being said, the actually shrimp mousse was on point with a rebound texture while the eggplant was soft yet still retaining a bite.
Although the dumpling skin on the Haw Gow was a touch thick, it wasn't overbearing to eat with a nice chew. Inside, the filling was mostly pieces of whole shrimp that had a meaty snap. Other than a touch of sweetness, there wasn't much in the way of discernible flavour. The shrimp mixture definitely could've used more sesame oil and salt. The same could be said about the Sui Mai as there was some sweet notes from the shrimp, but little else. Texturally, the dumpling was appealing since it was comprised mostly of shrimp with only a little bit of pork and pork fat. Hence, there was a bounce to the entire thing that was buttery and moist.
When it hit the table, the Phoenix Talons (Chicken Feet) with Beef Tripe didn't look all that appetizing. With dissolved portions, missing skin and a super pale colour, the chicken feet were indeed terrible. The whole thing was missing the tender plump skin and gelatinous cartilage underneath. Rather, all we got was bone and a bit of obliterated skin. Furthermore, there whole dish was lacking the garlicky saltiness we were all used to. Moreover, there was very little tripe to be found (but it was good though). Just for my son, we got the Salty Donut. Something about fried anything appeals to him (except when veggies are involved). This was rather crunchy with only a slight amount of chewiness left in the middle. Not too greasy though.
Fairly average in size, the Beef Meatballs were pretty decent. There was a considerable amount of bounce texture that did not completely erase the natural meat chewiness. It was mildly seasoned and there was only a touch of green onion.
Looking like it was missing 1/3rd of the dish, the Chicken and Fish Maw looked downright sparse. The chicken was buttery though being properly marinated and tenderized. As for the fish maw, it was soft with some melting pieces, but the quality of the product was evident. Again, flavours were very mild bordering on bland. I guess my dad liked that as he doesn't want to eat salty food.
Onto dessert, we got an order of the Egg Tarts. I guess we should've went for 2 as the kiddies demolished one each in a few bites. We were able to share the last one and it was no wonder they liked it. It was flaky and buttery with a silky and lightly sweet custard. Also light, the Steamed Egg White Custard was mild on the sugar as well. It was silky with a touch of wateriness. I guess it goes without saying that the theme of the meal was "mild" (or bland in some cases). I guess for those watching their salt intake, this would be ideal. For me at least, everything needed something more to make the flavours stand out. Other than that, the food was decent, if not a little pricey. Also, the tea was nice, but also expensive.
The Good:
- Attentive service
- Interesting individual teas (albeit expensive)
- Okay eats
The Bad:
- Underseasoned
- A little pricey (unless you have a discount card)
- Limited selection
Posts
Generally, the most obvious place for possible good eats is the standard full-service restaurant. However, there is also a good chance that this can be found at a food court or food truck as well. Heck, even some fast food outlets offer up some solid experiences. On the other hand, we often overlook catering companies as we only ever think about them when there is a wedding or some corporate event. So with that in mind, I was intrigued by the invite I received recently from Sugar Mountain Catering. They were serving up an 8-course meal at the Arundel Mansion in New West. I ended up joining Grace, Emily, Carolyn, Amy, Diana, Joyce and Kirsty 
We began with an amuse bouche consisting of a Crostini graced with cured Roma tomato and basil encrusted chevre. It was finished off table side by a drizzle of 25-year aceto balsamico. If an amuse is supposed to whet one's appetite, then this was a success as it was loaded with bright acidic flavours. The tomato was tart, sweet and impactful while the balsamic added another shot of sweet acidity with depth. As for the chevre, there was enough of it to provide a creamy and smooth balance with the herbaceous hit of basil. 
Our first course was the Maple Hills Farms Free-Range Chicken Consumme with vermouth, spring morels, foie gras, mirepoix, vegetables and pate feuilletee. Beyond the fairly thin crispy puff pastry, we found a broth that was steaming hot, yet very mild in flavour. I did get some woodsiness from the morels and brightness from the crunchy veggies, however, a sprinkle of salt really helped bring the broth alive. Next up was the Braised Fraser Valley Beef Cheek and Bone Marrow Custard with Italian parsley, fleur del sel, pink Himalayan salt, glace viande and grilled bruschetta. This was hands-down a fan favourite. Buttery and decadent, the custard hid little tender morsels of beef cheek that were like pockets of surprises. Despite the full-bodied glace viande on top, the accompanying salt was necessary to amp the flavours.
Presented in a martini glass, we found Dungeness Crabmeat with grilled asparagus and Pemberton Valley fingerling potato dressed in a grain mustard vinaigrette. There was no shortage of fresh fluffy crab that was nicely seasoned which gave way to a creamy mustardy finish. The vibrant asparagus, tender potatoes and firm peas offered up different textures and sweetness to the dish. A somewhat surprising dish was the Gulf Island Pink Shrimp Perogies. It was garnished with wild Sockeye belly bacon, ikura caviar and sour cream along with truffle butter. Despite being thick, the dumpling skin was tender and soft. The buttery shrimp were nice, but did get lost amongst the dough. There was a nice balance of seasoning where the sweetness of the shrimp was accented by the salmon bacon.
The only dish I wasn't particularly fond of was the Nori-Wrapped Tempura Ahi Tuna with shiso oil, uni cream and ponzu daikon sprouts. The dish was beautiful to look at with the perfectly prepared tuna, but in terms of texture, it didn't work. I found the tuna to be overly firm and underseasoned. Despite the tempura batter on the outside, there wasn't the textural contrast I was expecting. Furthermore, the uni cream was a no show, but the shiso oil was quite aromatic. Onto another fish course, we had the Poached Filet of Smoked Wild BC Sablefish. It was accompanied by half a Fanny Bay oyster, brandade gratin, fennel, bacon and rosemary infused veloute. The buttery sablefish was smokey and salty. This flavours were further reinforced by the aggressively seasoned and creamy veloute. I really liked the buttery oyster as the brininess provided a departure from the salt.
With our last savoury course, we were served the Roast Rack of Salt Spring Island Lamb with Chianti syrup, sauteed fiddleheads and roasted spring vegetable couscous en cocotte. I really enjoyed this as the lamb was expertly prepared medium-rare. Tender and juicy, the lamb was unfortunately a bit underseasoned. Even with the syrup, it wasn't particularly flavourful. On the other hand, the rib portion of the lamb was more tasty due to the fat content and the proximaty of the herbs. 
For our sweet course, we were presented with a Dessert Troika consisting of Cashew and Cardamom-Spiced Love Cake with coconut ice cream, Jackfruit Tarte Tartin and Belgian Chocolate-Raspberry Pot de Creme. Interestingly, the pot de creme had a bit of a kick to go with the rich chocolate. I liked how it wasn't overly sweet. The same couldn't be said about the tarte tartin as it was sweet with a slight tang. Not sure if the puff pastry base was that appealing. As for the love cake, it was aromatic and moist with a bit of buttery nuttiness. It went well with the creamy coconut ice cream. At this point the meal had lasted over 3 hours, then again, there was 10 courses in all if we included the amuse and palate cleanser. Overall, the food was pretty good, especially given the limited kitchen facilities of the venue.
