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After returning from my most recent vacation (those posts will be up shortly), it has given me a greater appreciation of what we have in Vancouver in terms of eats. However, there are certain things that are still lacking in the local food scene, especially when it comes to non-Asian cuisine. I could start naming them, but it would take too much time and space on this blog post. So I'll cut to the chase, I was recently invited to a tasting at Salchicha Homemade North African and Middle Eastern Cusine to sample dishes that are sometimes hard to find in the GVRD.
Now the first few items weren't exactly foreign to us as it included Baba Ganoush, Coleslaw, Tabbouleh and Hummus. In the middle was some bread accompanied by tahini, sahoug and harissa. The best item of the bunch was surprisingly the coleslaw. It was crunchy, creamy and appealingly tangy. I found the tabbouleh fresh, but a little heavy on the onion. The hummus was smooth, aromatic and nutty with a strong tahini presence. Lastly, the babaganoush was smooth, mild and sweet.
Onto some appies, we had the Chicken Skewers with house chipotle mayo. Despite the use of breast meat, the chicken was tender with a robust texture. With a light char, there was some smokiness to be had as well as the spices from the marinade. I found the dip to be tangy with a mild spiciness. Consisting of grilled eggplant, zucchini, carrots, yam and red bell peppers, the Antipasti was a pleasant dish. I found the veggies to be cooked just enough without being overly wet. I would've liked to see a slightly more aggressive char, but the caramelization was definitely there.
Something a bit different was the Sweet Liver Pate with toasted focaccia and homemade cherry tomato jam with cinnamon and bay leaf. I thought the pate itself was extremely "liver" tasting with a touch of grittiness and iron-finish. It was really sweet from the tomatoes and there was no mistaking the cinnamon. The bread was a nice textural contrast being crunchy and well-charred. Being pretty straightforward, the Cherry Tomato Salad was bright, refreshing and mild. It sported lettuce, red onion, mint and feta cheese to go with the 3 colours of tomatoes.
From light to the "meat" of the meal, we got the Cous Cous Maraguez. I really enjoyed this as the reduced harissa sauce had depth-of-flavour, but could've used some more salt. The meaty Alberta lamb Moroccan sausage was meaty and flavourful while the cous cous was fluffy and moist soaking up the tang from the tomatoes. On the same theme, the Shakshouka Maraguez featured a slow-cooked spicy tomato sauce with poached eggs and maraguez. I found the sauce to be be rich and flavourful, yet not all that spicy. Rather, it was tangy and sweet. I liked the contrast of the buttery eggs with the meaty sausage.
We got yet another dish with meat on a stick, albeit a cinnamon stick in the Beef Kebabs. These were served atop a tasty creamy potato concoction. I found the beef to be well-charred, yet a bit dry. The onions provided a nice caramelized sweetness while the cinnamon surprisingly was rather mild-tasting. Our last meat dish was the Spring Chicken with carrot rice and drizzled with date molasses. Being aggressively charred, the chicken was smoky and a touch bitter. It remained moist and tender though while the sweetness of the molasses was a good match.
For dessert, we were served Malabi consisting of corn flour and milk topped with rose water and maple syrup, coconut shavings and peanuts. Okay, I've had variations of this before, but for me at least, this was the best yet. I loved the thick custard texture that was more aromatic than sweet and the crunch from the peanuts added a nuttiness. By nearly sampling all of the best dishes Salchicha has to offer, I thought the ones featuring maraguez to be the best. I would be pretty satisfied with one of those with an appie and the malabi.
*All food, beverages and gratuities were complimentary*
The Good:
- Something different
- Hearty and robust dishes
- Reasonably-priced
The Bad:
- Charring could've been more consistent
- Loved the flavours, but could've been more aggressively seasoned
We were in a dilemma. Something that had us thinking hard and would determine our fate. Yes, we were trying to figure out where to eat after softball... To complicate things, not only did we have Miss Y and her paleo diet, but also another request - something vegetarian. I was confounded and frustrated since it also had to be within the Sunset area. Not to worry and never fear because Bear was there! He piped up and suggest Indian, specifically Tandoori Raj (well not really, he thought it was a different restaurant was located there, but we ate there anyways).
Interestingly, no one ordered any tandoori items despite a prominent section in the menu. Oh well, whatever, we did get a good selection of dishes including the veritable Butter Chicken. We asked for all of our dishes to be spicy and this one was no exception. It had a real initial kick, but was not unbearable. We could've done with even more spiciness. With that being said, it allowed the flavours of the butter chicken to come through including a mild tang and muted creaminess (I would've liked it more creamy). We enjoyed how the chicken was actual tandoor-prepared and it was fairly moist. Onto the Prawn Masala, we found it to be a bit sweeter due to the onion. It had the familiar spices including noticeable cardamom. The smallish prawns were well-prepared though being meaty with a light snap.
We ended up with 2 lamb dishes including the Lamb Vindaloo and Lamb Rogen Josh. We found the vindaloo a bit more red than we were used to, but that was partly due to the paprika. Add in vinegar and tamarind, the sauce was trending towards a ketchup-type flavour. However, this was not to say this tasted like ketchup, it was far from it. Again, there was a purposeful amount of spiciness that added layers of flavour. As for the lamb itself, they were in medium-sized chunks that were fairly tender. Again, the rogen josh was in a noticeable red hue once again from the paprika. I thought this was a touch sweeter due to the onion content and there was a noticeable cardamom finish. The spiciness didn't hide the rest of the spices which was pretty consistent with all of the dishes.
We also went with a Goat Curry Punjabi Style which was less intense as with the lamb dishes. The milder flavours could be attributed to the creaminess of the curry. We thought the goat was appealingly tender with only a muted gaminess. As mentioned, the spiciness was not as apparent, which suited this dish fine. We moved from meat over to veggie with the Palak Paneer. We found it to be creamy and nicely spiced. The heat level was still there, but not as strong as the first 4 dishes. As for the paneer, it was soft with a rebound texture. Loved the pop of the sweet peas that were nestled in the curry.
Yes, the dish we were all waiting for... The Vegetable Curry! Sorry for being sarcastic, I'm a meatatarian... It was actually quite good with also a creamy consistency. This was the only dish that was requested as mildly spicy. Hence, it was a bit sweet with the spices coming through a bit more. Naturally, we also got rice and Naan to go with our curries. As evidenced in the picture, the naan could've used a bit more blistering and charring, but it was okay nonetheless. It was soft and chewy with a slightly crisp bottom side. Overall, we enjoyed our meal at Tandoori Raj. Flavours were impactful and the spice level suited us. We just wished there was a bit more meat in the curries.
The Good:
- Balanced spiciness
- Flavours were impactful
- Decent service
The Bad:
- Could've used more ingredients
*Restaurant is now closed*
My experiences with seafood boils has been either very good or very bad. Generally, the ones I've had out-of-town have been more consistent than the ones I've had locally in the GVRD. I'm not sure why we just can't seem to do it right here. Could it be the operating and material costs? Or does it have to do something with taxes? Maybe we just can't boil seafood? Whatever the case, I'm still trying to get over Crawfish King and that was like over 4 years ago! Somehow, the craze died down for a little while, but it seems to have started up again. I recently got to check out one of the new spots in 21 Nautical Miles as part of ChineseBites Oceanwise dinner.
Getting down and dirty, we were served the main event first with 4 different flavours of Seafood Boil. In each pile, we found corn, potatoes, clams, blue mussels, selva tiger prawns and BC dungeness crab with add-ons of lobster tail, snow crab and king crab. I found that the seafood was actually cooked quite well. The Garlic Butter was the most mild of the 4 with a bevy of minced garlic coating each piece. Hence, it was very aromatic and pungent. I thought they did a good job in limiting the amount of salt, which let the seafood do the heavy lifting. Directly in front of myself and Joyce was the Xi'an Spicy and it wasn't fooling around. There was a definite kick of heat from the get-go which continued to the very end (lingering as well). Despite this, there was still layers of flavour including the seafood and a background saltiness and sweetness.
That was directly the opposite with the House Special Spicy which was even spicier. I found it somewhat tart with an almost overpowering heat that overwhelmed the delicate seafood. The clams, mussels and shrimp were a little lost, yet at the same time, the crab was okay due to it being in the shell. It was spicy, but it did not penetrate to the leg meat as badly. With a totally different flavour profile, the Black Pepper was spicy on a different level. It was more mild, yet had considerable impact. From the initial smell to actually touching the palate, the black pepper was a flavourful match for the seafood. Some might think it could be too strong, but I found it just right.
While we were attacking the seafood, we were served a big plate of Fried Crab and Shrimp that had been fried and then wok-tossed in a spicy fried garlic and crumb mixture. Hidden within was Szechuan peppercorns that caused my tongue to go numb on several occasions. Hence, the seafood was more of a textural entity rather than being anything on its own. I couldn't taste really anything for a bit after eating the crispy and spicy crumb coating.
We somehow went away from seafood and were presented with both Lamb and Beef Skewers. Both featured tender and lightly charred meat, yet the textures were vastly different. The fatty lamb was moist and succulent while the beef was a touch dry and sported a more firm bark. Dusted with cumin, the lamb had a distinctive taste and the beef benefitted from an aggressive rub that made it somewhat salty, yet flavourful and aromatic. Looking rather plain, the Fried Chicken Wings were succulent inside while firmly and densely crunchy on the outside. There was lots of impact from the sprinkle of spices including preserved plum and MSG.
We then got an amazing concentrated Kung Fu Soup (Abalone Broth) served in a cute little teapot accompanied by an equally cute tea cup. I could smell the aromatic and sweet broth before I tried it. One sip and it didn't disappoint with a pointed sweet brininess that was both rich and exhibited depth. It was unmistakably abalone and was not over-salted, which meant the natural flavours came through. From subtle, we went full-bore with the Szechuan Boiled Fish. This one was pretty legit with tender nuggets of flaky fish sitting in a spicy tongue-numbing broth. Underneath, there were some cellophane noodles that had soaked up all the spice. I would've liked to see a bit more variation in flavours though.
To further enrich our seafood experience, we were served the Grilled Oysters topped with plenty of garlic. Suffice to say, that was the dominant flavour with a well-seasoned pungency. However, the buttery oyster underneath wasn't completely overwhelmed as I got the brininess since it wasn't overcooked. Poured over hot rocks, the Stone Cooked Scrambled Eggs was both unique and actually quite good. It looked gimmicky at first, but the eggs turned out to be silky and barely cooked. I liked the mild seasoning that was well-balanced as well as the buttery shrimp.
Looking rather impressive with activated dry ice, the Tower of Crawfish laced in the same 4 sauces arrived majestically. For me, I find crawfish a lot of work for so little meat. This was not different, however, the meat was fairly food being moist with a meaty chew. The flavours were pretty much the same as the seafood boil except I found only the Spicy and Black Pepper to be the best matches for the muddy-flavoured meat.
Our last surprise dish consisted of Blue Crab in Chef's Special Sauce with wings, chicken feet, carrots and potato in a sauce that could only be described as multi-faceted. There was so much going on that every taste on one's tongue was represented. With that being said, it was on the sweeter side, yet matched the crab well. I actually thought the rest of the ingredients were more appealing to eat than the crab (as blue crab has limited meat).
For dessert, we were served a Mango Thousand Layer Mille Crepe that was imported from Asia. It featured light and slightly chewy crepes, fresh cream and ripe mango. The ice cream was a bit icy though. Overall, our experience at 21 Nautical Miles was pretty decent. It was a bit surprising considering some of the previous feedback from others. I guess they made some tweaks to ensure that the seafood wasn't overdone. As with anything seafood and located in Downtown, you will need to make sure your credit card has been paid off first.
*All food, beverages and gratuities were complimentary*
The Good:
- Seafood was generally prepared properly
- Much more than a seafood boil restaurant
- Nice digs
The Bad:
- It's gonna cost you (but it is seafood and it is Yaletown)
- Possibly too many items on the menu? Lost a bit of focus from their core items
Let's get something out of the way first - I love Pepper Lunch. Yes it is true, the sizzling meat (or sometimes no meat) arriving on a hot teppan means intoxicating aromas and for the duration of your meal, it ensures it stays hot. I've tried the others in town and nope, they aren't as good. So when I got an invite to try some of their new items, they didn't have to ask twice. I brought along Viv this time as she has never had Pepper Lunch (although she has tried the competitors).
Before we got to the main items, we sampled their Gyoza (both chicken and beef versions) served on a hot teppan. These sported a thin dumpling skin that was cooked through while still appealingly chewy (it could've been a touch crispier on the bottom though). Inside, I found the beef and cabbage filling to be more loose and exhibit a more robust flavour as opposed to the denser, more mild chicken. The first sizzling item to arrive was the 300g Kobe Burger with corn, carrots, green beans, rice, miso soup, drink and mochi ice cream (dinner special at $18.95!!!). This "steak" meant business as it was thick and rather large. Due to that, the centre took a while to cook and in reality, only made it to medium. Not a problem for us as it was juicy, tender and succulent. The caramelization of the meat meant there was a smoky sear while there was a dash of black pepper and garlic butter on the outside. I found that adding just a bit of their sweet sauce elevated the meat even more so.
Next up was the Prawns & Sliced Angus Beef which was the other option for the $18.99 dinner special. After a few rotations on the teppan, it was nicely caramelized resulting in a medium-rare doneness. Tender with a meaty chew, the beef was seasoned similarly to the Kobe burger with black pepper and garlic butter. This went well with the side of rice and the saltier sauce. We had to remember to toss the sprouts around to get them cooked through. Interestingly plated (use your imagination), the Veggie Mushroom Burger consisted of the aforementioned ingredient and soy protein. The result was a meaty patty that had no meat at all. I found the taste of mushroom very strong (maybe too much?), but that meant there was no absence of flavour either.
My favourite (and echoed by others at the table) was the Maple-Flavoured Pork Steak. We could smell the intoxicating aroma as it sizzled. One bite and it delivered on the promise from the smell. It was beautifully caramelized where the sweetness was intense, yet not overpowering. There was an equal amount of savoury elements to provide balance. I found the tender chewiness of the meat to be on point where the fat content was just enough to provide both aromatics and succulence. Our last dish was the Yaki Udon with the choice of beef or pork. This was tasty with chewy seared noodles laced with an equal amount of sweetness and saltiness. The abundance of bonito on top added that fishy, briny, sweet and salty quality to the dish. There you have it, another tasty visit to Pepper Lunch. The highlight for me was the Maple Pork, I would order that again and again.
*All food, beverages and gratuities were complimentary*
The Good:
- Fairly large portion sizes
- Reasonably-priced with all things considered
- No absence of caramelized flavours
The Bad:
- The DIY portion requires some skill to ensure optimum tastiness (ie. pay attention to it)
Posts
After returning from my most recent vacation (those posts will be up shortly), it has given me a greater appreciation of what we have in Vancouver in terms of eats. However, there are certain things that are still lacking in the local food scene, especially when it comes to non-Asian cuisine. I could start naming them, but it would take too much time and space on this blog post. So I'll cut to the chase, I was recently invited to a tasting at Salchicha Homemade North African and Middle Eastern Cusine to sample dishes that are sometimes hard to find in the GVRD.
Now the first few items weren't exactly foreign to us as it included Baba Ganoush, Coleslaw, Tabbouleh and Hummus. In the middle was some bread accompanied by tahini, sahoug and harissa. The best item of the bunch was surprisingly the coleslaw. It was crunchy, creamy and appealingly tangy. I found the tabbouleh fresh, but a little heavy on the onion. The hummus was smooth, aromatic and nutty with a strong tahini presence. Lastly, the babaganoush was smooth, mild and sweet.
Onto some appies, we had the Chicken Skewers with house chipotle mayo. Despite the use of breast meat, the chicken was tender with a robust texture. With a light char, there was some smokiness to be had as well as the spices from the marinade. I found the dip to be tangy with a mild spiciness. Consisting of grilled eggplant, zucchini, carrots, yam and red bell peppers, the Antipasti was a pleasant dish. I found the veggies to be cooked just enough without being overly wet. I would've liked to see a slightly more aggressive char, but the caramelization was definitely there.
Something a bit different was the Sweet Liver Pate with toasted focaccia and homemade cherry tomato jam with cinnamon and bay leaf. I thought the pate itself was extremely "liver" tasting with a touch of grittiness and iron-finish. It was really sweet from the tomatoes and there was no mistaking the cinnamon. The bread was a nice textural contrast being crunchy and well-charred. Being pretty straightforward, the Cherry Tomato Salad was bright, refreshing and mild. It sported lettuce, red onion, mint and feta cheese to go with the 3 colours of tomatoes.
From light to the "meat" of the meal, we got the Cous Cous Maraguez. I really enjoyed this as the reduced harissa sauce had depth-of-flavour, but could've used some more salt. The meaty Alberta lamb Moroccan sausage was meaty and flavourful while the cous cous was fluffy and moist soaking up the tang from the tomatoes. On the same theme, the Shakshouka Maraguez featured a slow-cooked spicy tomato sauce with poached eggs and maraguez. I found the sauce to be be rich and flavourful, yet not all that spicy. Rather, it was tangy and sweet. I liked the contrast of the buttery eggs with the meaty sausage.
We got yet another dish with meat on a stick, albeit a cinnamon stick in the Beef Kebabs. These were served atop a tasty creamy potato concoction. I found the beef to be well-charred, yet a bit dry. The onions provided a nice caramelized sweetness while the cinnamon surprisingly was rather mild-tasting. Our last meat dish was the Spring Chicken with carrot rice and drizzled with date molasses. Being aggressively charred, the chicken was smoky and a touch bitter. It remained moist and tender though while the sweetness of the molasses was a good match.
For dessert, we were served Malabi consisting of corn flour and milk topped with rose water and maple syrup, coconut shavings and peanuts. Okay, I've had variations of this before, but for me at least, this was the best yet. I loved the thick custard texture that was more aromatic than sweet and the crunch from the peanuts added a nuttiness. By nearly sampling all of the best dishes Salchicha has to offer, I thought the ones featuring maraguez to be the best. I would be pretty satisfied with one of those with an appie and the malabi.
