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Somewhere down-the-line, I've heard about the Chef's Table pop-up meals at the Downtown VCC. But for some reason, I've never actually signed up for one despite the rave reviews. Even the $30.00 price tag for a 5-course tasting menu ($45.00 with wine pairings) didn't encourage me to try it out. Hey, for that price, it is really a steal considering the student chefs are trained and supervised by Chef Hamid Salimian. So finally, it took Pebbles inviting me to reserve my spot to see what the fuss was all about.
Located in the Bistro at the VCC, the plating was done right in front of us in the main dining space. Definitely interesting and a great way to see how much teamwork it takes to plate 20 dishes of food. We started off strong with a Chef Hamid classic in the Puffed Foie Gras with apricot puree, candied almonds and rose water honey bubble. I've had this dish in one form or another a few times and this one delivered. It was light and buttery with the firm crunch from the sweet almonds. Extra sweetness was provided by the puree and bubble.
Next, we were served the Cavatelli & Lobster featuring NextJen gluten-free pasta, lobster, sweet onion, lobster foam and crispy Parmesan. I've tried NextJen products before and this was probably the best yet. With a buttery bite, the gluten-free pasta could've passed for the regular stuff. Nestled inside was perfectly prepared lobster while the foam was rather mild-tasting. I enjoyed the brightness provided by the ample chives and mildly pungent onions. The addition of morels were a nice little textural surprise with each bite.
Onto the meats, the Roasted Squab was beautifully plated. It was accompanied by sour cherry puree, salsify, crispy kale and brown butter vinaigrette. The small slice of squab was tender and succulent (prepared just right). Tart but not overwhelming, the sour cherry puree was on point. Acidic and nutty, the brown butter kept things lively for my taste buds. The crispy kale added a crunch to an otherwise softly textured dish (where the salsify was tender as well).
A nicely composed dish, the 24-Hour Short Rib was not melt-in-my-mouth tender as I would've expected. With that being said, it was still buttery and beautifully-prepared. There was more of a meatiness and bite to it, unlike the one I had at AnnaLena. Different, but still good its own right as it had a tasty bark which was smoky and flavourful. I found the sauce underneath to have a definite red wine essence. I thought the carrot on the dish could've been better prepared as it was rather plain and lifeless.
We ended things off with the Chocolate Bar with milk chocolate and salted caramel ice cream. The chocolate was rich and smooth blessed with an impactful sprinkle of salt. I loved the crispy bottom as it broke up the heaviness of the chocolate. As smooth as the ice cream was in my mouth, it lacked enough saltiness aromaticness normally associated with salted caramel. Okay, it goes without saying that the ice cream was the only thing that could've been better. Considering this was prepared by students under the supervision of Chef Hamid, the tasting menu was rather impressive. Even more so since it only cost $30.00.
The Good:
- Fantastic value
- On point dishes
- They truly try to impress
The Bad:
- Honestly, for this price, not much to complain about!
I guess Vancouver is not much different than any other food city when it comes to "hot new spots". When we are inundated by buzz and hype via social media, it always attracts foodies alike. Despite the warnings from Grace, I decided to round up the softball team after our game on Monday to try out the "hot" Osteria Savio Volpe. Oh and if you are wondering why my photos suddenly became crappy half-way through the meal, it is because they asked me to stop using my flash (which I obliged because it is their right).
We were started off with the Formaggi with a selection from Quebec, crisp bread, walnuts and wild flower honey. I didn't take note of the names, but the one on the top left was akin to brie with a crispy exterior while the one next to it was firm and nutty like a Parm. The one below was also firmish, but was creamy and mild on the inside. I liked the addition of the honey as it went well with the walnuts. Next up was the Ox Tongue Tonnato which was very good in my opinion. The thin slices of buttery ox tongue was nicely accented by the tuna, lemony mayo on top. It was pleasant tasting with the pop of the capers. This was my favourite dish of the night.
Drenched with enough butter to make a Hollandaise, the Garlic Bread was quite good. It was a bit dense, but the crunchy exterior gave enough textural contrast. As mentioned, it was soaked with garlic butter which was both impactful and decadent. Not the best we've ever had though. From there, we moved onto our selection of pastas beginning with the Raviolini filled with veal, chicken & pork and finished with roasting juices. This was our favourite as the pasta was tender while still al dente and thin. Inside, the meat was moist and well-seasoned. The best part was the sauce as it had a good amount of natural meat flavour as well as an appealing tanginess.
As for the Linguine with spring salmon, capers and Calabrian chili, we were not overly thrilled with it. We found the pasta to be overdone. We didn't find the overall texture of the dish including the "sauce" to be that appealing as it was rather starchy and had an off-putting finish. On the other hand, the heat from the chili was quite nice and impactful as well as the tang from the capers. Our last pasta was the Tortiglioni with shortrib braciola and Sunday sugo. The pasta itself was nicely al dente and held onto the sauce quite well. The flavours were bright, acidic and sweet. We found the shortrib braciola to be a bit dry and too mild-tasting though.
Moving onto the meats, we had the Meatballs with neckbone gravy next. The large meatballs were a little dry and lacked any succulence. There wasn't a whole lot of filler though which partially led to the meaty texture. I liked the little pops of currant and pine nuts inside as it added variation in the flavours and texture. The accompanying sauce was acidic and fresh tasting. Before we hit the big plates of meat, we also got a side of Green Beans with brown butter, almonds and Grana Padano. This was money as the beans still retained some crunch while cooked through. The nuttiness from the butter and almonds were quite nice with the beans as well as the saltiness from the cheese.
The best non-appetizer dish by far was the Top Sirloin with horseradish and black pepper. Presented beautifully medium-rare, the meat was buttery, tender and flavourful. It was nicely rested where the juices stayed in the meat. The large amount of horseradish underneath at first looked daunting, but in reality, it was nicely balanced where the spice came through without being over the top. Lastly, we had the Suckling Pig with salsa verde, cracklings and radish. We enjoyed the crisp and light cracklings as well as the brightness from the salsa verde. However, the pork didn't seem to take on much roasted properties. It was decently tender and not overly dry, but there was something missing. That pretty much sums up our experience at Osteria Savio Volpe - some hits and some misses (especially with the pasta). With that being said, it is worth a try (particularly if you order the right dishes).
The Good:
- Outstanding steak
- We got attentive service
- Nice vibe
The Bad:
- Hit and miss pasta
- Smallish portions
Having a tasting at Soft Peaks during dinner hours was both good and bad. The good was that we had the appetite to down several samples of their creations. The bad was that we weren't really satisfied since we never really ate an actual "dinner". Nora was pretty keen in grabbing a bite to eat in the neighbourhood and originally suggested Bao Down. I was mildly okay with that idea but was looking for more of a "sit-down" meal. Hence, we headed over to the nearby Sardine Can instead.
Seeing how we had 6 of us, we doubled up our orders starting with the Tostas de Sardinas or smoked sardines on toast. This was an appetizing bite where the crostinis were crunchy, yet not dense. On top, the generous portion of sardine was briny and nicely pickled. With an aggressive drizzle of olive oil, it added a buttery richness. The extra hit of acidity from the pickled onions put in over the top. One of my favourites was actually the second dish being the Gambas al Ajillo or spicy garlic prawns. These meaty morsels were tender yet still holding a light snap texture. Although I could taste the natural prawn sweetness, it was not the star of the show. Rather, the spices and garlic really came through with a spicy aromaticness accented by smoked paprika.
I wasn't sure what to think about the Chorizo con Jerez or full-flavoured chorizo sausage cooked in sherry. Sitting in enough grease to power a small vehicle, it didn't look particularly appetizing. I know many dishes are prepared this way, but this is just my personal bias speaking... Anyways, no complaints about the flavour as there was a pointed saltiness accented by a bit of tang. However, I found the texture to be too firm for my liking. What is tapas without Patatas Bravas? These roasted fingerling potatoes topped with garlic aioli and tomato could give the ones at Bodega a run for their money. Meaty yet still potatoey in side, the small wedges were graced with a creamy and garlicky aioli. The light tomato sauce was bright and lightly acidic and sweet.
Another solid offering was the Pollo alla Mora or spiced yogurt marinated chicken with pomegranate. Nicely seared, the chicken breast meat remained moist and tender. Although there was a definite impact from the spices, the real flavour came from the tart and sweet pomegranate juice. A quick dip into the side of spiced yogurt brought balance to the dish. Our last savoury item was the Bruselas (roasted brussels sprouts, mustard + jamon vinaigrette, garlic croutons). A touch soft, but still retaining a bite, the brussels sprouts were mildly seasoned with a balance of sweet, salty and tartness.
For dessert, we shared 2 dishes including the Terrina de Chocolate (Chocolate terrine with chili, olive oil, sea salt, toast). This was rather thick where it was a bit hard to spread. However, it paid off in the end because the smooth and rich texture was appealing. Moreover, the spice from the chili was a nice finish at the end. As much as this was good, I enjoyed the Flan de Dulce de Leche more. Texturally, it was on point with a silky firmness that was smoky and purposefully sweet. The only negative was the appearance of air bubbles. Overall, we enjoyed ourselves at The Sardine Can not only for the food, but also the attentive service.
The Good:
- Solid tapas
- Attentive service
- Reasonably-priced
The Bad:
- Not exclusive to The Sardine Can, but it was a bit greasy
- Tight seating
Posts
Somewhere down-the-line, I've heard about the Chef's Table pop-up meals at the Downtown VCC. But for some reason, I've never actually signed up for one despite the rave reviews. Even the $30.00 price tag for a 5-course tasting menu ($45.00 with wine pairings) didn't encourage me to try it out. Hey, for that price, it is really a steal considering the student chefs are trained and supervised by Chef Hamid Salimian. So finally, it took Pebbles inviting me to reserve my spot to see what the fuss was all about.
Located in the Bistro at the VCC, the plating was done right in front of us in the main dining space. Definitely interesting and a great way to see how much teamwork it takes to plate 20 dishes of food. We started off strong with a Chef Hamid classic in the Puffed Foie Gras with apricot puree, candied almonds and rose water honey bubble. I've had this dish in one form or another a few times and this one delivered. It was light and buttery with the firm crunch from the sweet almonds. Extra sweetness was provided by the puree and bubble.
Next, we were served the Cavatelli & Lobster featuring NextJen gluten-free pasta, lobster, sweet onion, lobster foam and crispy Parmesan. I've tried NextJen products before and this was probably the best yet. With a buttery bite, the gluten-free pasta could've passed for the regular stuff. Nestled inside was perfectly prepared lobster while the foam was rather mild-tasting. I enjoyed the brightness provided by the ample chives and mildly pungent onions. The addition of morels were a nice little textural surprise with each bite.
Onto the meats, the Roasted Squab was beautifully plated. It was accompanied by sour cherry puree, salsify, crispy kale and brown butter vinaigrette. The small slice of squab was tender and succulent (prepared just right). Tart but not overwhelming, the sour cherry puree was on point. Acidic and nutty, the brown butter kept things lively for my taste buds. The crispy kale added a crunch to an otherwise softly textured dish (where the salsify was tender as well).
A nicely composed dish, the 24-Hour Short Rib was not melt-in-my-mouth tender as I would've expected. With that being said, it was still buttery and beautifully-prepared. There was more of a meatiness and bite to it, unlike the one I had at AnnaLena. Different, but still good its own right as it had a tasty bark which was smoky and flavourful. I found the sauce underneath to have a definite red wine essence. I thought the carrot on the dish could've been better prepared as it was rather plain and lifeless.
We ended things off with the Chocolate Bar with milk chocolate and salted caramel ice cream. The chocolate was rich and smooth blessed with an impactful sprinkle of salt. I loved the crispy bottom as it broke up the heaviness of the chocolate. As smooth as the ice cream was in my mouth, it lacked enough saltiness aromaticness normally associated with salted caramel. Okay, it goes without saying that the ice cream was the only thing that could've been better. Considering this was prepared by students under the supervision of Chef Hamid, the tasting menu was rather impressive. Even more so since it only cost $30.00.
