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We all know that some of the best macarons in the GVRD can be found at vancouver locations like Soirette and Bon Macaron. If we head out further, there is also Chez Christophe and even Kitchening with Carly. However, are there any decent macarons to be found once we cross a bridge? Yep, L'Opera Patisserie makes some mean ones, but how about Surrey? That is what I wanted to find out the first time I visited Sugar Patisserie out on 64th Ave. It was a fail since it was closed (4pm). So I tried again and picked up some other items including their macarons.
I went for a full dozen of Macarons that covered all 10 of their available flavours for the day. These consisted of peanut butter caramel, strawberry, pumpkin, coconut, chocolate, raspberry, caramel, Tiffany vanilla, pistachio and lemon. When I first bit into one at the store, they were still cold from being refrigerated. Hence, I waited for them to warm up and they ended up to be lightly crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Interestingly, the peanut butter caramel was rather dense and chewy while the coconut was lighter and softer. This was the theme for most of the macarons, so depending on the flavour, the texture could vary. My favourite was the coconut as it was aromatic and not too sweet. As much as I wasn't a fan of the texture of the peanut butter caramel, it was pretty tasty.
However, the most tasty thing was actually the Peanut Butter Brownie. This was well-balanced in flavour with a mild sweetness from the rich chocolate and the classic nutty aromatics from the smooth peanut butter. Texturally, the brownie was dense and moist without being too heavy. This was something that I couldn't stop eating and wanted more of it. With a bevy of layers, the Pistachio Torte sported an almost floral quality. It was aromatic, lightly sweet and ended off with a classic roasted pistachio essence. The torte was light yet a bit dry despite all of the cream in between the layers.
Something that was less sweet and had a bitter finish was the Chocolate Caramel Tart. It featured a thick ganache chocolate filling that was smooth and as mentioned, with a dark chocolate slant. The buttery tart shell was crispy and firm while aggressively baked. That meant there was a certain nuttiness from the copious amount of butter. Now that tart shell worked with the robust chocolate filling, but it was a bit too strong for the curd in the Lemon Tart. Despite being appealing tart and only purposefully sweet, the aftertaste of the nutty tart shell was more dominant. Now that didn't mean the whole thing wasn't good though as the custard was tasty and had a balanced consistency as well as a sparkly sheen. So despite some shortcomings, I believe that Sugar Patisserie offers up decent enough products, especially given the lack of choices out in the area.
The Good:
- Okay pricing
- Decent products
- Nice people
The Bad:
- Some macarons were dry and too dense
After sampling 5 soups and chowders at Crab Park Chowdery, Emily and I were looking for something sweet. This was due-in-part to the pointed savouriness (bordering on salty) of the chowders. Well, we didn't have to look very far as we walked only a block to Mosquito. The name doesn't really describe the place, but it is a higher-end lounge-type establishment that serves up creative cocktails and equally interesting desserts.
We were seated at the bar which was a great place to watch the mixologist craft some cocktails. Of course, we ended up with 2 including the Blossom and Love Pimento. With vanilla chili-infused tequila, passionfruit puree and lime, the love pimento was light, floral and fruity. The tequila was smooth and not too strong while the drink was on the sweeter side. Made with lillet, peach schnapps, plum bitters, violet syrup and sparkling wine, the Blossom was also light and floral. There was an alcohol aftertaste as well as some medicinal qualities.
For our desserts, we tried the Apple & Hazelnut first. It consisted of apple citrus cremeux, hazelnut praline Chantilly, apple cider reduction, caramel and goat cheese ice cream. We found this concoction light and subtle with pointed hits of apple being sweet and tart. The hazelnut was mild, but the sauce helped bring out the aroma. Loved the crunch of the nuts as they were impactful and needed. Finally, the ice cream was creamy and smooth while being not overly sweet.
Next, we had the Bergamot Exotic Baba soaked in Diplomatico rum, coconut chantilly, passion fruit caviar, mango sorbet and lemon balm. This was a pretty dish featuring aromatic and crunchy coconut. The mango sorbet was sweet and intense with natural flavours. We thought the sponge cake was too dry though even with the rum. It was not too strong though. The bits of passionfruit were ripe being really sweet and delicious.
Our last dessert was called A Little Bitter with sour cherry compote, lemon sorbet, old fashion aromatic bitters jelly and amaretto foam. This lived up to its namesake with bitter jelly. However, the sour cherries were intensely sweet and not really all that tart. There were some floral qualities to the dessert as well as an Asian-taste to it. Overall, we thought Mosquito was a cool place to hang out and grab a drink while being treated to creative desserts. However, the pricing is on the higher end.
The Good:
- Creative desserts
- Creative cocktails
- Nice vibe
The Bad:
- A bit too dark in there even for lounge
- Expensive
Although we have a few places in town that specialize in soups, there hasn't been one dedicated to chowders and specifically those served in sourdough bread bowls. Yes, if this sounds like Boudin in San Francisco, you aren't too far off. However, there are not many places in North America that offers up tasty clam chowder in house-baked sourdough bowls right along the water. In terms of Vancouver, we have to celebrate the opening of Crab Park Chowdery in Gastown because it is the only one of its kind at the moment.
Emily and I dropped by on an invitation to try all of their chowders including the Baked Potato served in a sourdough bread bowl. Loaded with tender chunks of potato and topped with green onion, tomato, sour cream and cheese, this was fairly heavy. The dominant flavour was the tart sour cream followed by the tart and plump tomatoes. This was definitely hearty, but a bit out-of-balance. I thought the Clam Chowder was pretty flavourful with the hit of salty and smoky bacon. There were layers of different tastes and textures like the briny clams, herbs and cream. I liked how it was thick, but not too thick.
We then sampled a trio including Tomato, Vegan Chili and Roasted Pepper and Corn. Of the 3, the latter was our favourite as it bordered on salty, but ultimately was a sock-in-the-face explosion of sweet corn, slight spice and creaminess. The tomato was aromatic and tart with a natural essence. There was some smoky chipotle in the background and an almost vanilla-like aroma at the end. As for the vegan chili, it was chunky, tart and definitely spicy. I didn't mind it, but I much prefer a meat version. But I understand the premise behind it - offering up a vegan choice. From the 5 items we tried, our favourite was the roasted pepper and corn chowder followed by the clam chowder. The others were okay, but I would stick with the 2 we mentioned.
*All soups were complimentary*
The Good:
- A dedicated chowder spot with sourdough bowls, finally...
- Reasonably-priced for what you get
- No absence of flavour
The Bad:
- Although reasonably-priced, soup portion could be a touch larger
- Soups are flavourful, but some might find them salty
When it first opened, the Steel Toad Brewery sported one of the best (if not the best) dining spaces in the city. Occupying the heritage Opsal Steel Building on East 2nd at Quebec, the expansive room features an incredibly high ceiling with plenty of natural light. I originally visited the place when it first opened and although the brews were tight, the food was not. It seemed like they wanted to rely on the venue and beer rather than putting any effort into the menu. However, times have changed where both the management and head chef have been replaced. I was invited for a tasting to see if the food could finally live up to the building.
We were started off with the Calamari marinated in buttermilk, fried and tossed in house lemon seasoning. I found each piece to be crispy, peppery and lightly seasoned with acidity from the charred lemon. The batter stayed adhered to the tender squid (which still retained a nice rebound). On the side, the house tzatziki was creamy and bright with plenty of tang. Next up was the Crab Louie which was an homage to the year the building was built (since the salad was popular then). They updated the plating where the tomato cream dressing was on the bottom. This kept everything from being over-dressed and also created a clean appearance. The veggies were fresh and crisp while the abundance of crab leg meat was fluffy and sweet. Loved the restrained touch of horseradish as it added a robust, yet not overwhelming sharpness to the dressing.
We continued with the Beet Salad consisting of California spring mix and 3 types of beets dressed in a house vinaigrette. I found the salad to be light with tender beets that were more sweet than Earthy (in fact, they weren't that Earthy at all). The big clumps of goat's cheese added a notable creaminess that was welcomed. With a nutty and sweet crunch, the candied cashews were plentiful as well as the tangy pickled shallots. Presented in a large steamer, the Mussels and Frites was plenty tasty. The lemongrass yellow curry was impactful where all the different ingredients were noticeable including shallots, ginger and garlic. The broth was sweet and gingery with a lingering spice. There was also plenty of acidity and a hint of cilantro. I found the mussels to be buttery fairly plump. The side of frites were crispy, but very salty.
The best dish hands down was the Argentine Shrimp Spaghettini with fresh cherry tomatoes, shallots, garlic, chili flakes, fresh basil, white wine, lemon juice and grana padano. Again, every ingredient listed was integral to the dish and announced itself with every bite. I got the sweetness of the shrimp that gave way to a lightly spicy garlickiness. It ended with the brightness for the basil, tomato and tang from the lemon. I would order this again in a heartbeat. With a crispy gorgonzola polenta cake in the middle, the Beef Carpaccio was more substantial than most versions. It featured thin slices of buttery Wagyu beef drizzled with an herb puree and horseradish cream. The flavours were more subtle than its appearance where it was creamy and bright accented by the acidic and peppery arugula salad.
The one dish that wasn't my favourite was the Albacore Tuna Tartare as it was overdressed with Korean chili paste (gochujang). This meant the delicate and buttery tuna was completely obscured and overwhelmed. On the positive side, the flavours were bold with spice sweetness and acidity from the mango and ginger lime vinaigrette. To make the whole thing even creamier was an avocado cream. This was served with house-made sesame "crackers" which was akin to pizza bread.
On the topic of pizza, we were served a duo including the Fig & Prosciutto with goat's cheese and fresh basil. Since they used aged dough, the crust was chewy, yeasty, tangy and nutty. It was thin and crispy while nicely salted. I thought the amount of fig was a nice counterbalance to the salty prosciutto. I enjoyed this pizza, but the Pear, Pork Belly & Gorgonzola was universally more loved. It didn't have any sauce, but that wasn't an issue as the moisture from the ingredients provided the right balance that kept the crust crispy. The nutty and crunchy crust was a nice textural contrast to the soft sweet pear and tender melt-in-our-mouths pork belly (which was aromatic in a roast pork manner).
For dessert, we were served a Trio of Ice Cream featuring Nutella atop hazelnut brittle, Mango with mango coulis and local Clover Honey atop honeycomb. These melted fast and was an indication that they were house-made and didn't contain any stabilizers. They were creamy and purposefully sweet. My favourite was the honey as it really did capture the essence and aromaticness of honey without being crazy sweet. Mind you, the honeycomb was pretty sweet. This was a fitting end to a surprisingly solid tasting. Compared to my first visit, the food quality and execution has vastly improved.
*All food and drinks were complimentary*
The Good:
- Reasonably-priced
- Now the food matches the dining space
- And yes, the dining space is gorgeous
The Bad:
- Still in transition, so certain menu items are still subject to change
Posts
We all know that some of the best macarons in the GVRD can be found at vancouver locations like Soirette and Bon Macaron. If we head out further, there is also Chez Christophe and even Kitchening with Carly. However, are there any decent macarons to be found once we cross a bridge? Yep, L'Opera Patisserie makes some mean ones, but how about Surrey? That is what I wanted to find out the first time I visited Sugar Patisserie out on 64th Ave. It was a fail since it was closed (4pm). So I tried again and picked up some other items including their macarons.
I went for a full dozen of Macarons that covered all 10 of their available flavours for the day. These consisted of peanut butter caramel, strawberry, pumpkin, coconut, chocolate, raspberry, caramel, Tiffany vanilla, pistachio and lemon. When I first bit into one at the store, they were still cold from being refrigerated. Hence, I waited for them to warm up and they ended up to be lightly crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Interestingly, the peanut butter caramel was rather dense and chewy while the coconut was lighter and softer. This was the theme for most of the macarons, so depending on the flavour, the texture could vary. My favourite was the coconut as it was aromatic and not too sweet. As much as I wasn't a fan of the texture of the peanut butter caramel, it was pretty tasty.
However, the most tasty thing was actually the Peanut Butter Brownie. This was well-balanced in flavour with a mild sweetness from the rich chocolate and the classic nutty aromatics from the smooth peanut butter. Texturally, the brownie was dense and moist without being too heavy. This was something that I couldn't stop eating and wanted more of it. With a bevy of layers, the Pistachio Torte sported an almost floral quality. It was aromatic, lightly sweet and ended off with a classic roasted pistachio essence. The torte was light yet a bit dry despite all of the cream in between the layers. 
Something that was less sweet and had a bitter finish was the Chocolate Caramel Tart. It featured a thick ganache chocolate filling that was smooth and as mentioned, with a dark chocolate slant. The buttery tart shell was crispy and firm while aggressively baked. That meant there was a certain nuttiness from the copious amount of butter. Now that tart shell worked with the robust chocolate filling, but it was a bit too strong for the curd in the Lemon Tart. Despite being appealing tart and only purposefully sweet, the aftertaste of the nutty tart shell was more dominant. Now that didn't mean the whole thing wasn't good though as the custard was tasty and had a balanced consistency as well as a sparkly sheen. So despite some shortcomings, I believe that Sugar Patisserie offers up decent enough products, especially given the lack of choices out in the area.
