skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Here we go with another year of Dine Out Vancouver. For me, I believe there are some gems to be found during this chaotic time where a mad rush of diners attempt to sample as many restaurants as possible. Some restaurants understand the premise behind the event and offer up great value with tasty food and quality ingredients for an attractive price. Others do not get it and offer up substandard food in hopes people won't notice they are not getting a deal at all. Well, I guess I could put this belief to the test when I had the opportunity to preview the DOV menus at 3 spots on Granville Island.
We began at Dockside in the Granville Island Hotel where we were treated to 3 appetizers on the dine out menu including the super-flavourful Duck Prosciutto Tart. Since the slices were relatively thick, the prosciutto was a bit chewy. However, it was far from tough and the chewing only helped bring out the gamy saltiness of the duck. Counteracting the salt was the sweet and tart balsamic reduction as well as the onion jam. The arugula added a touch of bitter brightness. Next, the Crab & Shrimp Cakes were pretty textbook with a crispy exterior while meaty inside. It wasn't fluffy, but wasn't dry either. The charred mango aioli combined with the mango salsa did the predictable sweet and tart thing.
Surprisingly, my favourite choice was the Winter Green Salad with manchego polenta croutons. Yah really! I found the mixture of leafy greens and firm French beans a nice textural contrast. Additionally, the croutons were something different which provided a certain robustness. The acidic and impactful herb vinaigrette kept things bright while the blistered cherry tomatoes added an extra layer of tartness. At first, I wasn't sure if the Roasted Zucchini was an appie or an entree. Well, it turned out to be the vegetarian option as a main. I'm not sure it that would be filling enough as a main, but I actually liked it as well (yah go figure). The half side of zucchini was caramelized with depth-of-flavour The crunch of fennel and pine nuts was the textural component while the eggplant puree added a silky mild flavour.
Okay, onto something meat-related, the Beef Wellington was good despite it being cooked a bit more than I would've preferred. Despite that, the meat did eat well being tender and not dry. It was encased in a buttery crust where I detected some horseradish (at least that is what I thought). Underneath, there was some creamy truffle mashed potatoes and on top was a red wine jus. Large in portion size, the Linguini Vongole featured a bevy of buttery Manila clams. Yet, it didn't really translate in flavour to the creamy white wine sauce. I would've liked to see more brininess. With that being said, the pasta was al dente and there was no shortage of flavour as there was a considerable cheesiness from the Reggiano.
For dessert, we were presented with 2 options including the Panna Cotta and Chocolate & Apricot Mousse Layer Cake. Although flavoured with lemon grass and lime, the panna cotta was very mild and not overly sweet. I could get a bit of the aroma only. However, the passion fruit puree along with mint was much more impactful with a sweet tartness. I found the layer cake to be really moist and bordering on wet. I didn't mind it though as it was only purposefully sweet with the chocolate going well with the berries. On the DOV site, it states that Dockside's greatest asset is its location. I would whole-heartedly agree with this statement, yet the food is more-than-acceptable as well (from my previous experience too). As for their $40.00 DOV menu, it is a safe offering that sports fair portions in a location situated right by the water.
*All food and beverages were complimentary*
The Good:
- Awesome location
- Fair portions
- Safe and predictable
The Bad:
- Safe and predictable (for those who are more adventurous)
*Restaurant is closed*
After a few go-arounds on The Dumpling Trail in Richmond, somehow one dinner just doesn't seem enough these days. This is especially true when Amy, Sharon and Diana were with me at a menu tasting at Ritual. We were all thinking the same thing: what were we going to eat afterwards? No, it wasn't dessert like Mimi and Jacqueline were suggesting. Rather, we wanted "food" and that we got, just around the corner from the newly opened Men-No Kura.
Before we got to the ramen, we tried both the Dashimaki Cheese and Dashimaki Mentaiko (not pictured). These were essentially rolled omelettes filled with cheese and tobiko respectively. Soft, airy and light, the omelettes were a pleasure to eat. I much preferred the stringy cheese rather than the tobiko though. I found the latter to be less impactful texturally, but it was more flavourful with a briny sweetness. Next was the Chicken Karaage, which was on point. It reminded me very much of the one from Mogu. Hence, the same qualities existed such as the juicy and flavourful chicken as well as the lightly crispy batter as well.
Sharon and Nathan each had the Shio and Shoyu Ramen which provided a nice baseline. The most obvious thing about the pork broth was that it was really rich and fatty. Hence, the concentrated pork flavour was very strong, yet at the same time, there was a restrained amount of salt. For this type of ramen, it appears that drinking the actual soup might be a little challenging as it was too heavy. On the other hand, it seemed to flavour and coat the noodles just enough much like a Dan Dan Noodle or Ja Jeun Mein. The noodles themselves were medium thickness and nicely al dente. I found the main difference between the 2 broths was that the shoyu did exhibit the soy flavour as expected over the light saltiness of the Shio.
Amy went for my initial choice in the Black Garlic Ramen (I ended up choosing something else for variety purposes). This was even greasier due to the addition of the black garlic oil. Once again, the broth itself was probably best left as a flavouring agent rather than a drinkable soup. With that, it was successful where the chewy noodles were coated in a porky and nutty aromaticness that was rather appealing. Peter had something similar in the Black Garlic Miso Ramen which was essentially the same except with the addition of miso. Therefore, a richer saltiness dominated the flavour profile of the broth. In addition, it lessened the impact of the black garlic as well.
For myself, I had the Black Garlic Tsukemen that featured warm thicker noodles served with a side of dipping broth. I found the noodles to be quite robust and hearty which decreased the effectiveness of the broth. Hence, I found the flavours to be quite muted. The 2 slices of fatty chashu were excellent being buttery soft and full of natural concentrated flavours. The half-Ajitama egg was also executed properly with a soft runny centre while being mildly seasoned. Diana went for the most expensive item in the Deluxe Spicy Tsukemen served cold with a side of bubbling broth. I found the cold noodles to be texturally better than my hot water blanched noodles. They were chewy and was a nice contrast to the hot semi-spicy broth. Overall, I thought the ramen at Men-no-Kura to be good with well-executed noodles, chashu and egg. However, the broth was a bit too rich and oily for me personally.
The Good:
- Love that black garlic
- Chashu and egg were on point
The Bad:
- Soup base not really meant for drinking as it is fatty and thick
*Restaurant is closed*
Fresh off a yummy tasting of Ritual's brunch menu, we were invited back to try their entire dinner menu. Generally, this can be somewhat of a risky proposition as it is nearly impossible to serve up 100% successful dishes, even if it is an invited dinner. However, that also can mean confidence and/or they are open to constructive criticism. Whatever the case, it was an opportunity to get the whole picture in one seating. Jacqueline set things up and including myself, there was also Mimi, Diana, Sharon, Peter, Nathan and Amy.
Already sitting at the table when I arrived (I was a little bit late) was the Dinner Bread featuring focaccia served with butter sprinkled with sea salt. As much as bread can be pretty boring, this was on point with a considerable rosemary hit which wasn't overpowering either. It was nicely toasted up where the exterior was crunchy while the inside was soft and fluffy. The side of firm butter didn't hurt things either. Colourful and cleanly plated (for a this type of salad anyways), the Beet Salad was light and refreshing. I found the beets to be on the softer and less dense side where they were naturally sweet. The bacon vinagrette made its presence felt with a smoky and salty hit combined with some acidity. The creamy feta brought everything together.
I'm sure it is pretty evident that I prefer meat dishes more than vegetable dishes, but the Charred Cauliflower & Tahini was on point. Crunchy, yet cooked all-the-way-through, the cauliflower was smoky and sweet with a background acidity. The nutty and aromatic tahini was further enhanced by the almost creamy baba ganoush. I couldn't stop eating this and not only was it meatless, it was vegan and gluten-free! Okay, who brainwashed me? Well, I guess it would be Ritual because the Roasted Organic Carrots had the same effect on me. It was a super simple dish featuring sweet crunchy carrots tossed in seaweed butter. However, the flavours were impactful with a caramelized sweetness complimented by the nuttiness of the butter and umaminess from the seaweed.
Yet another meatless item was the Autumn Squash Gratin which arrived bubbling hot. Layered and baked to order, it sported parmesan and parsley. Texturally, it was predictably soft and almost creamy with a sweet Earthy cheesiness. It was definitely rich, but not heavy at the same time. Okay, we did actually get to eat some meats starting with the Yam of Your Dreams. Granted it was only a transition of sorts with equal parts vegetable and shredded beef brisket. I quite enjoyed it though as the yam was sweet and soft while the beef was tender. The BBQ sauce was also sweet but did have background heat from the habernero mango hot sauce. The salsa and pineapple balanced things off with a light freshness and brightness.
One of most visually attractive dishes was the Hot Fried Chicken that had a spicy kick balanced off by unpasteurized honey. It was tender and moist with only a mild amount of seasoning. I would've liked to see a more aggressive brine. However, the Earthy crimini mushroom country gravy added more than enough flavour and impact. The scallion mash was bordering on creamy but was mostly starchy. Loved the airy and sweet crispy butter seared honey cornbread on the side. Another solid dish was the Duck Leg Confit with einkorn risotto, almond, cranberry and buttered dinosaur kale. I found the meat to be soft and tender, yet with some drier parts. For some reason, I tasted truffle oil despite it not being on the menu description. I thought the duck was flavourful without being salty. The side of squash was intensely sweet.
Due to personal bias, I can definitely say that the Fully Loaded Vegan Baked Potato didn't really stand a chance. Of course I can understand that offering a vegan option is good for business, but for me personally, I didn't prefer it. As much as the potato was perfectly baked being soft and fluffy, the toppings did not have much impact. Naturally, they were behind the 8-ball since cashew cheese can never replace real cheese and adding tofu and broccoli on top doesn't spell b-a-c-o-n either. All was well with the Francesinha Sandwich though. This thing featured milk bread, smoked ham, andouille sausage, roast pork loin, melted havarti topped with a rich tomato beer sauce. Due to the amount of meat, this was a hearty sammie with a cheesy smokiness. I liked the tangy and zesty sauce, but the bread did soften quickly (we did take a long time to actually eat it though).
For dessert, it was all about the Almond Orange Poppyseed Cake. From its impressive six layers to the surprisingly light and only purposefully sweet creamcheese frosting, the cake as a whole really worked. The cake itself was a touch on the denser side, but it held up great to the moisture. The addition of almonds gave a textural crunch to the soft cake. Another light dessert was the Pan-Roasted Pineapple with house french vanilla ice cream, ginger and sage cookie crumble. Each piece of pineapple was intensely sweet due to the cooking process. Flavours were caramelized, yet at the same time the pineapple still maintained its texture. The addition of the crumble added a crunch to the dish.
The most beautifully-plated dessert was the Eggnog Tart with gingerbread pate brisee and black cherry coulis. The eggnog custard was creamy and silky while being only sweet enough with a touch of nutmeg. I found the gingerbread pate to be mild enough that it wasn't overpowering while the coulis was sweet and tart. These were some pretty impressive desserts considering that I don't even like dessert that much. In fact all the dishes, excluding the baked potato, were good with a twist. Although this was a complimentary tasting, I would personally have no problem spending my own dime to eat here.
*All food and beverages were complimentary*
The Good:
- Familiar dishes with unique twist
- Nice balance of flavours
- Reasonable portion size
The Bad:
- Might want to carpool if you are driving, parking is at a premium
Posts
We began at Dockside in the Granville Island Hotel where we were treated to 3 appetizers on the dine out menu including the super-flavourful Duck Prosciutto Tart. Since the slices were relatively thick, the prosciutto was a bit chewy. However, it was far from tough and the chewing only helped bring out the gamy saltiness of the duck. Counteracting the salt was the sweet and tart balsamic reduction as well as the onion jam. The arugula added a touch of bitter brightness. Next, the Crab & Shrimp Cakes were pretty textbook with a crispy exterior while meaty inside. It wasn't fluffy, but wasn't dry either. The charred mango aioli combined with the mango salsa did the predictable sweet and tart thing.
Surprisingly, my favourite choice was the Winter Green Salad with manchego polenta croutons. Yah really! I found the mixture of leafy greens and firm French beans a nice textural contrast. Additionally, the croutons were something different which provided a certain robustness. The acidic and impactful herb vinaigrette kept things bright while the blistered cherry tomatoes added an extra layer of tartness. At first, I wasn't sure if the Roasted Zucchini was an appie or an entree. Well, it turned out to be the vegetarian option as a main. I'm not sure it that would be filling enough as a main, but I actually liked it as well (yah go figure). The half side of zucchini was caramelized with depth-of-flavour The crunch of fennel and pine nuts was the textural component while the eggplant puree added a silky mild flavour.
Okay, onto something meat-related, the Beef Wellington was good despite it being cooked a bit more than I would've preferred. Despite that, the meat did eat well being tender and not dry. It was encased in a buttery crust where I detected some horseradish (at least that is what I thought). Underneath, there was some creamy truffle mashed potatoes and on top was a red wine jus. Large in portion size, the Linguini Vongole featured a bevy of buttery Manila clams. Yet, it didn't really translate in flavour to the creamy white wine sauce. I would've liked to see more brininess. With that being said, the pasta was al dente and there was no shortage of flavour as there was a considerable cheesiness from the Reggiano.
For dessert, we were presented with 2 options including the Panna Cotta and Chocolate & Apricot Mousse Layer Cake. Although flavoured with lemon grass and lime, the panna cotta was very mild and not overly sweet. I could get a bit of the aroma only. However, the passion fruit puree along with mint was much more impactful with a sweet tartness. I found the layer cake to be really moist and bordering on wet. I didn't mind it though as it was only purposefully sweet with the chocolate going well with the berries. On the DOV site, it states that Dockside's greatest asset is its location. I would whole-heartedly agree with this statement, yet the food is more-than-acceptable as well (from my previous experience too). As for their $40.00 DOV menu, it is a safe offering that sports fair portions in a location situated right by the water.
