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With a pending visit to the new 17° C Dessert Cafe, it looked like we needed a savoury meal beforehand. Would it be too much food? Probably, but with the likes of Rick, Grace, Joyce, Jacqueline, Laurie, Nancy, Sophia, Amy and Diana in the house, we definitely had enough eating prowess. So to keep things in the same hood, we ended up doing a double ChineseBites night with our initial meal at Golden Eats Seafood Restaurant prior to the desserts.
We started off strong with the XO Salted Duck Egg Yolk Crab tossed in a considerable amount of seasoning-related items. Hence, there was plenty of aromatic saltiness from the rich egg yolk. It was not wet nor was it too crumbly where it adhered nicely to each piece of crab. The XO was rather mild and stayed in the background. As for the crab itself, it was fluffy with some parts stuck to the shell. Raising the bar once more, we had the Lobster with Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf. There was a considerable amount of chewy rice underneath the large lobster. I found it to be a touch dry with not nearly enough sauce to moisten it up. However, it was still decent in my books, especially with the sweet pop of corn niblets. The lobster was nicely prepared having a succulent rebound texture.
Onto the 2 courses of Peking Duck, we began with the crispy skin and crepes first. I found this dish to be rather pedestrian where the crepes were dried out and chewy. The skin was an unattractive pale colour while the texture was a touch chewy and over-fried. On the other hand, the large lobster chips underneath were fantastic! I couldn't stop eating them. As per usual, the 2nd course consisted of the Duck Lettuce Wrap. Although it might be a small detail, the lettuce cups were far too wet for my liking. It literally watered down the product. Furthermore, they were hacked up where my piece was split 3 ways, making it difficult to eat without something falling out. As for the filling, it was decent where there was enough wok heat to evaporate any residual liquid (and easy on the grease too). There was plenty of duck and crunch from the veggies as well.
Moving on the fish dish, we had the Pan Fried Black Cod with sweet soy. I found the fish to be aggressively fried where the exterior was bordering on chewy. However, it was ultimately crispy, even with the dousing of sweet soy on top. Being a forgiving and oily fish, the black cod remained flaky and buttery inside despite the deep fry. There was enough sauce that the fish was completely seasoned (as it soaked in as well). Then a mysterious package in tin foil arrived. What was it? I decided to take charge and open it up. Inside, it turned out to be enormous Dark Vinegar Pork Ribs. These were crispy on the outside while completely drenched in a syrupy sweet glaze that had a mild tang. The meat itself was tender while still maintaining a meaty chewiness.
Completely stuffed full of meat, bean curd stick and water chestnuts, the Lamb Hot Pot was a solid item. Each piece of meat was succulent, lamb-textured (as in gelatinous, fatty and tender) and well-seasoned. I enjoyed the bean curd stick since it still retained a bite (not being completely soft and falling apart) while being easy to chew. The big slices of water chestnuts provided a bright crunch. Arriving at the same time, the Soft Tofu with Diced Seafood was a touch gooey from the large amount of starch-thickened sauce on top. The tofu itself was soft and buttery though. As for the seafood, it was on point with cold-water shrimp and tender fish.
As if this wasn't enough food for us, 2 hot pots hit the table. The first was an Oxtail Stew with red wine. There was a plethora of meaty pieces with big chunks of slow braised carrots. Despite the impressive visuals, this dish ultimately disappointed. The meat itself was chewy and in need of more cooking time while the dominant flavour was that of brown sugar (the wine wasn't even detectable). Right beside it, the Eel Hot Pot was equally full. I found the dish to be mildly seasoned even though there was sliced cured sausages nestled inside. The eel was in little pieces and rather bony (as it can be). The flesh was buttery and tender though without being mushy.
My favourite dish of the meal (and I suspect everyone else's) was the House Special Spicy Clams. These were graced with an impactful mix of garlic, fried garlic and chilis. Furthermore, there was no excess moisture on the plate to dilute any of the flavours. The clams were prepared expertly where they were buttery and just cooked through. Our last dish was a special one being the Chicken Stuffed with Sticky Rice. Although it didn't look particularly succulent, the chicken was tender and moist (even the white meat). It sported a well-rendered and crispy skin on the outside. Underneath the meat, there was chewy sticky rice (that was not dry) which featured an appealingly crispy and light bottom side. At the end of the meal, it donned on me that almost everything was prepared quite well. A bit surprising for an unassuming restaurant along Kingsway.
*All food and gratuities were complimentary*
The Good:
- Solid eats
- Impactful flavours
- Open late for those night owls
The Bad:
- Due to lack of staff, some requests took forever to fill
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
Posts
With a pending visit to the new 17° C Dessert Cafe, it looked like we needed a savoury meal beforehand. Would it be too much food? Probably, but with the likes of Rick, Grace, Joyce, Jacqueline, Laurie, Nancy, Sophia, Amy and Diana in the house, we definitely had enough eating prowess. So to keep things in the same hood, we ended up doing a double ChineseBites night with our initial meal at Golden Eats Seafood Restaurant prior to the desserts.
We started off strong with the XO Salted Duck Egg Yolk Crab tossed in a considerable amount of seasoning-related items. Hence, there was plenty of aromatic saltiness from the rich egg yolk. It was not wet nor was it too crumbly where it adhered nicely to each piece of crab. The XO was rather mild and stayed in the background. As for the crab itself, it was fluffy with some parts stuck to the shell. Raising the bar once more, we had the Lobster with Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf. There was a considerable amount of chewy rice underneath the large lobster. I found it to be a touch dry with not nearly enough sauce to moisten it up. However, it was still decent in my books, especially with the sweet pop of corn niblets. The lobster was nicely prepared having a succulent rebound texture.
Onto the 2 courses of Peking Duck, we began with the crispy skin and crepes first. I found this dish to be rather pedestrian where the crepes were dried out and chewy. The skin was an unattractive pale colour while the texture was a touch chewy and over-fried. On the other hand, the large lobster chips underneath were fantastic! I couldn't stop eating them. As per usual, the 2nd course consisted of the Duck Lettuce Wrap. Although it might be a small detail, the lettuce cups were far too wet for my liking. It literally watered down the product. Furthermore, they were hacked up where my piece was split 3 ways, making it difficult to eat without something falling out. As for the filling, it was decent where there was enough wok heat to evaporate any residual liquid (and easy on the grease too). There was plenty of duck and crunch from the veggies as well.
Moving on the fish dish, we had the Pan Fried Black Cod with sweet soy. I found the fish to be aggressively fried where the exterior was bordering on chewy. However, it was ultimately crispy, even with the dousing of sweet soy on top. Being a forgiving and oily fish, the black cod remained flaky and buttery inside despite the deep fry. There was enough sauce that the fish was completely seasoned (as it soaked in as well). Then a mysterious package in tin foil arrived. What was it? I decided to take charge and open it up. Inside, it turned out to be enormous Dark Vinegar Pork Ribs. These were crispy on the outside while completely drenched in a syrupy sweet glaze that had a mild tang. The meat itself was tender while still maintaining a meaty chewiness.
Completely stuffed full of meat, bean curd stick and water chestnuts, the Lamb Hot Pot was a solid item. Each piece of meat was succulent, lamb-textured (as in gelatinous, fatty and tender) and well-seasoned. I enjoyed the bean curd stick since it still retained a bite (not being completely soft and falling apart) while being easy to chew. The big slices of water chestnuts provided a bright crunch. Arriving at the same time, the Soft Tofu with Diced Seafood was a touch gooey from the large amount of starch-thickened sauce on top. The tofu itself was soft and buttery though. As for the seafood, it was on point with cold-water shrimp and tender fish.
As if this wasn't enough food for us, 2 hot pots hit the table. The first was an Oxtail Stew with red wine. There was a plethora of meaty pieces with big chunks of slow braised carrots. Despite the impressive visuals, this dish ultimately disappointed. The meat itself was chewy and in need of more cooking time while the dominant flavour was that of brown sugar (the wine wasn't even detectable). Right beside it, the Eel Hot Pot was equally full. I found the dish to be mildly seasoned even though there was sliced cured sausages nestled inside. The eel was in little pieces and rather bony (as it can be). The flesh was buttery and tender though without being mushy.
My favourite dish of the meal (and I suspect everyone else's) was the House Special Spicy Clams. These were graced with an impactful mix of garlic, fried garlic and chilis. Furthermore, there was no excess moisture on the plate to dilute any of the flavours. The clams were prepared expertly where they were buttery and just cooked through. Our last dish was a special one being the Chicken Stuffed with Sticky Rice. Although it didn't look particularly succulent, the chicken was tender and moist (even the white meat). It sported a well-rendered and crispy skin on the outside. Underneath the meat, there was chewy sticky rice (that was not dry) which featured an appealingly crispy and light bottom side. At the end of the meal, it donned on me that almost everything was prepared quite well. A bit surprising for an unassuming restaurant along Kingsway.
