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For all of the many great restaurants in Vancouver, there are only a few that I would use my valuable time for a return visit (or visits). One of which is Tuc Craft Kitchen on the edge of Gastown. This little spot gets pretty favourable reviews and has many loyal customers. The reason why? It's actually really simple - they produce delicious food. Yes, it is true. There are plenty of restaurants in town that focus far too much on style and social media hype and do not put enough effort into their menu. At Tuc, their ever-changing offerings speak for themselves without the need of stupid gimmicks. I was recently invited to their Summer menu launch and there was no need to ask twice!
To start things off, I tried their Turmeric Margherita with Hornitos reprosada tequila, Pierre Ferrand dry curacao, orange juice, turmeric and lime. Loved the colour and bright flavours which was perfect for a warm day. It was refreshing with just a hint of bitterness from the turmeric and plenty of zing from the citrus. This was a dangerous beverage as I could've downed many of these easily. Our first small bite was the Vegan Rarebit based on the traditional Welsh dish. This one sported rye bread topped with roasted veggies, caramelized onions and smoked onion sauce on top. Despite the amount of wet ingredients, the bread was crunchy and stayed firm. I found the roasted veggies fully cooked, but still retained a bite. The sauce on top was slightly sweet with a touch of acidity.
The best starter by far was their popular Crispy Bacon & Egg which is an interpretation of a Scotch egg (being relatively lighter without the use of sausage). As evidenced in the picture, the egg was as perfect as one would hope for being a beautiful free-range orange and runny. Of course some preparations would have it fully cooked, but c'mon, this was sexier and not rubbery. On the outside, the bacon was meaty and lightly crispy as with the thin layer of tempura batter. Another English-inspired little bite was the Boudin Noir featuring blood sausage wrapped in crispy pastry. I found the flaky pastry to be very buttery while the boudin was soft and not especially heavy. I found it rather airy with some richness and aromaticness.
Moving onto the tasting, we began with the Steelhead Ceviche & Chicharron with citrus cured Lois Lake steelhead atop puffed pork rinds and carrot ginger puree. Exhibiting a balanced acidity and hits of lemon lime, the buttery steelhead's sweetness was able to come through. The smooth puree added more sweetness as well as a sharp spiciness. Aromatic and crispy, the chicharron exhibited an almost egg-like essence and aroma. From light over to meaty, we were presented with the Lamb Dukkah on top of white bean hummus and Moroccan relish finished off with sesame & chickpea dust. I found the lamb patty to be juicy and tender with an appealing bounce texture where the spices were apparent, in particular the cumin. The spicy and tart relish featuring jalapeno and mint was a nice compliment to the lamb while the firm spicy carrots were tasty on their own.
Next up was the Seafood Tamarind Bisque featuring Salt Spring mussels, white prawn and snapper in a chili tamarind broth with Thai basil and local veggies. The bisque was rather brothy and tart with the aromatics from shrimp paste and brininess from the seafood. There was a background spiciness that didn't overwhelm the delicate seafood including the meaty shrimp, flaky fish and briny buttery mussels. Although wilted, the veggies retained their texture and crunch which was a nice textural contrast. Alternating between light and heavy, we went back to the decadent with the Crispy Pork Curado sporting a Gelderman Farms braised pork shank, roasted corn, charred tomatillo verde, celeriac slaw and local greens. This was a site to behold with a beautifully crispy pork shank where the fat underneath was buttery and gelatinous. Beyond that, the meat was tender, moist and also gelatinous. The sweetness of caramelized roasted corn broke up the heaviness while the slightly tart and mildly spicy tomatillo added brightness as well as the crunchy slaw.
Since we were alternating back and forth between seafood and meat, it was fitting that our final dish featured both in the Surf & Turf. This was an interesting interpretation with miso-cured tri-tip steak, tempura soft shell crab, confit sweet potato and miso foam. Ever-so-lightly battered, the soft shell crab was crispy on the outside while still moist and soft on the inside. It was sweet and of course exhibited the classic crab essence. I thought the steak itself was tender bordering on chewy. With that being said, it was cooked nicely medium-rare and wasn't hard to eat. It was lightly salty from the miso, but not overly so. For dessert, we were served the Chilled Chocolate Fondue with fernet-infused chocolate Anglaise, marshmallow and honeycomb toffee. This was pretty sweet due to the combination of ingredients. So if you have a sweet-tooth, this would definitely be up your alley. The whole thing was smooth and chocolatey while the honeycomb added a sweet caramelized smoky crunch. Like clockwork, the dishes from the Summer menu at Tuc were solid and executed properly. I've never had a bad meal here and this was no exception.
*All food and beverages were complimentary*
The Good:
- Proteins cooked properly
- Seasoning on point
- Unpretentious
The Bad:
- Not much to complain about. Only thing was the slightly chewy steak.
At least not that I can recall, I've never eaten at Kam's Bakery & Restaurant out on Main Street near Broadway. Heck, it's been there forever and it's not like I haven't driven or walked by it hundreds of times. Well, according to past reviews, I wasn't missing a whole lot (other than the occasional mouse... wonderful). So I finally made some time to visit the place and presto... it changed names and chef. Now know as Macao Restaurant, it sports a renovated dining space and a chef that hails from, you guessed it, Macao.
Although they feature Macanese specialties on the menu, we generally stuck to the usual HK-style cafe options including the classic Baked Pork Chop Rice as well as the Baked Spaghetti Bolognese. These arrived bubbling hot in some pretty distinctive squarish bowls. Crispy and completely tender, the sliced pork chop was on point. Even though it was covered with sauce, it didn't soften much. About that sauce, it was tasty with a mild tang and enough saltiness to flavour the dry and chewy fried rice. Not sure if they needed to put that much onion into the mix though. Sporting fairly chewy noodles, the spaghetti bolognese was covered with a nice layer of melted mozzarella. There was a certain sweetness from the diced carrots and onions. The sauce lack a bit of depth, but it was still certainly impactful with only a mild tang. We found the generous amount of meat to be nicely cooked until tender.
The one special dish we did order was the Stewed Oxtail with rice. From the moment it hit the table, I knew it was not the real deal. With veggies that were added after the fact and with oxtail that was not specifically prepared for this dish, the flavours did not meld. It goes without saying that the veggies, in particular the celery and onions were crunchy and did not absorb any of the braising liquid. The oxtail was also on the chewy side and didn't seem like it married the flavours with the veggies. We also got the Chicken Steak with black pepper sauce and white rice (we asked for spaghetti, but whatever). The large pieces of deboned chicken leg were juicy and well-seared where the skin was nicely rendered. Thick and peppery, the sauce tasted a lot different than it appeared. However, there was some tomato tang in the background.
Just because the kiddies love it, we added the Fried Basa with French Fries just for good measure. Turned out that it was a good decision after all since the large piece of fish was fried beautifully. The meat was tender and flaky while the panko breading was firmly crispy and only lightly greasy. Although generic, the fries were fairly decent being crispy and not oily. One thing though as the tartar sauce tasted strange because it was a mix of Miracle Whip and jalapenos. This wasn't unlike the Breakfast Combo B consisting of 2 sunny side eggs with 2 pieces of fried basa. It also came with thick-sliced buttered toast and the same weird tartar sauce. Toast was good though being airy and light. This was actually on a return visit because I failed to order 2 of their signature dishes.
These dishes consisted of the veritable Baked Portuguese Chicken with rice and the Baked African Chicken with rice. Lightly spiced and purposefully creamy, the Portuguese chicken was pretty good. I would say it probably needed a bit more punch, but that is nitpicking. The pieces of chicken were excellent being juicy and cooked just right. As for the African chicken, it was really on point as well with juicy dark meat and moist white meat. It was flavourful in a spiced manner while not being reliant on salt. There was a mildly spicy nuttiness that gave way to some sweetness and aromatics. Loved the crispy potatoes underneath! Overall, we thought the dishes were decent at Macao Restaurant. However, there is a certain level of sticker shock as the menu prices are on the higher end.
The Good:
- Unique Macanese dishes not normally found in Vancity
- Proteins generally on point (except for the oxtail)
- Friendly service
The Bad:
- Service is good but error-prone (mixed up spaghetti for rice and totally forgot an item on my 2nd visit
- Expensive
Normally, we try to avoid the crowds and the accompanying high prices of Mother's Day by either celebrating it a week earlier or later. However, my mom wanted it to be right on the actual day this year and to top it off, at probably one of the most decadent spots in town - The Hotel Vancouver. Gone are the days when it was held at Griffin's. These days, their special occasion brunches are at Notch8 which took over the space once occupied by 900 West. Decorated in classy dark colours with soothing lighting, there is more of an upscale look and atmosphere.
We made an early reservation for the sold-out seatings to find a beautiful Seafood spread that took up the entire bar area and the adjacent space. There was a selection of shrimp, dungeness crab legs, smoked salmon, lox, smoked tuna and salmon candy. Everything was on point with fluffy crab, meaty shrimp and buttery salmon and tuna. I really should've devoured plates of these, but there was other things to eat such as Salad. Yes, I should've bypassed it completely, but the colours were so attractive! My favourite was the ambrosia orchard salad with the crunch of root veggies and the sweetness of the citrus. The grilled corn salad was also tasty with a smoky sweetness.
Onto the hot items, there was a Carving Station that featured the usual prime rib and baked ham, but there was also salmon wellington and seared duck breast. Looking at the plate, it was rather obvious that the prime rib was fairly rare. However, it was well-seasoned and super tender. The duck breast was a little overdone, but was still moist and came with a tasty jus. Same could be said about the wellington as the salmon was cooked all-the-way-through. It was not dry though and the duxelles on top was Earthy and tasty. The pastry on the outside was rather doughy as seen in the picture. Although it appeared rather plain, the crab benedict featured a perfectly runny poached egg. There was avocado on the side if one wanted any.
For some odd reason, I went back to the salads and had the grilled Caesar with bacon and parm. After that, I tried some of their Hot Dishes including lobster hash, chicken & apple sausage, bacon, truffled egg frittata, baked eggs with merguez sausage and sundried tomato, lemon butter veggies, cauliflower and broccoli gratin, tuna casserole and a sweet one in the chocolate hazelnut crepes. I didn't actually dig into each offering as some were picked clean and others (like the egg dishes) didn't look all that appealing. Surprisingly, my favourite was the tuna casserole featuring big tubes of pasta with plenty of moist tuna and cheese. Adjacent to the seafood spread was various Cheeses and small selection of meats.
The real draw of the buffet brunch was the Dessert Room as it was nearly the size of the hot food section itself. The 2 pictures doesn't nearly do it justice as that only represented 1/3rd of what was actually available. In addition to a chocolate fountain with various fruits and marshmallows, there was macarons strewn all over the room. We also found cake pops, tarts, cupcakes, scones, creme brulee, chocolate mousse, various cakes, meringues, cream puffs and fruit crumble. Suffice to say, we didn't eat all of this, but things were actually quite good including the macarons. Overall, the brunch was bordering on extravagant, yet should've been for the price tag of $75.00 each before tax and tip. The highlights were definitely the seafood, carving station, dessert and even the salads. However, the hot food was somewhat of a disappointment.
The Good:
- Nice dining space
- That dessert room
- On point service
The Bad:
- Hit and miss hot food
- Expensive
Let's be honest here. High tea or afternoon tea is not generally frequented by dads. More often than not, we see a bunch of girlfriends or mom and daughter sipping tea while snacking on scones. Yet, that shouldn't be the case. If moms can enjoy this on Mother's Day or really any other day, Dads should be able to get in on the action too! I've always lobbied for "Man Tea" where we would find 3 tiers of appies such as hot wings, dry ribs and potato skins served with beer.
That doesn't exist, but for now TracyCakes is offering a "Dad & Me High Tea" on June 17th and 18th for $20.00pp that consists of the usual (such as finger sandwiches and scones) with the addition of deviled eggs, sausage rolls and cupcake "burgers" with a side of yes... beer. I was recently invited to give this a try along with the family. We decided to hit up the Langley location on 48th at 216th. There is also another store in Abbotsford as well. Housed in a building that dates back to 1932, both the outside and inside were quaint and nostalgic. Tastefully decorated, the dining room was filled with natural light. It was a peaceful environment where we could watch all the cars circle the roundabout in front from the 5 corners.
Now I never did have a beer, rather I stuck with the usual tea in the Tropical Green Tea. This was actually quite mild with a hint of fruit flavours that blended well with the light green tea. Usually, green tea can exhibit some bitterness, but this was smooth. Viv decided on the Vanilla Tea which was predictably aromatic. There was no mistaking the flavour and it was even more impactful with the addition of some sugar. My daughter chose the Very Berry and it was more floral than we would've expected. Rather than berries, it tasted more like aromatic flowers.
Onto the actual goodies, we tackled the bottom tier first. There was an array of Sandwiches that consisted of cucumber and cream cheese with dill, egg salad, pesto tomato and turkey with cranberry and spinach. We found the bread to be fresh and soft while the pesto tomato was the most impactful. Also on the plate was a sausage roll and deviled eggs. The egg was quite good where the whites were not rubbery while the yolk was creamy and light. It was mildly salted with a hint of mustard.
We moved onto the 2nd tier consisting of 2 types of Scones. One was made with peaches and the other with strawberry. They came with the requisite strawberry jam and Devonshire cream. These were abnormally large where none of us actually finished an entire one. They were pretty typical being slightly heavy, but still moist and tender (not wet though, even with the fruit). It wasn't particularly crumbly though. There was a minimal amount of fruit which was probably intentional as the moisture content would make the scone wet.
The last plate of goodies consisted of Cupcake "Burgers" with coloured frosting emulating mustard, ketchup and lettuce. These were moist and not as sweet as they appeared. We also found sugar vanilla cookies and lemon glazed cake as well. I enjoyed the sweet, yet lemony glaze on the cake as it almost seemed light because of it. We never did finish all of the cake and the cupcakes because there was more than enough for the 4 of us. We also had 1.5 scones left too. Definitely a good value for $20.00pp and loved how they are marketing it for Father's Day.
*All food and beverages were complimentary*
The Good:
- Well-priced
- Quaint spot
- Family-friendly
The Bad:
- A little far for those urban-dwellers
- Eggs could've used more salt
Catching the early morning flight at 6:30am from San Diego into SeaTac, we were both tired and famished. Luckily, I had booked a towncar to pick us up and drive us to Goose's house in Bellevue. We had ditched our car there prior to our Mexican cruise and also had some packages to pick up on the way back. After loading the car in the freezing cold (we didn't have winter wear), we made our way over to Redmond for some early morning Dim Sum at Eastern Pearl.
Since we were a bit short on time, we were happy to see a push cart full of our favorites. I ordered everything at once including the Ha Gau (Shrimp Dumplings) and Siu Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumplings). As much as the Ha Gau looked legit, the dumpling skin was too thick. Inside, the filling was a combination of mousse and little bits of shrimp. It had a somewhat rebound texture and did taste shrimpy. We thought the Siu Mai were better with chunks of fatty pork that were tender, moist and bouncy. The pieces of shrimp had a nice rebound while the dumpling was mildly seasoned with the natural taste of pork.
Of course I had to get some offal (since I didn't have any in Mexico! doh!) in the form of Steamed Bible Tripe with ginger and green onion. We thought the flavors were on point with the sharpness of ginger married with the brightness of the green onion. They didn't over-salt the dish while the tripe itself was not gamy. However, we felt they over-tenderized the tripe as it was too soft and lacked bite. Onto the Bean Curd Skin Rolls, the exterior was appealing with a firm chewiness that was moist. Interestingly, the filling consisted of pork and cabbage which lightened things up from the usual meat dominated type.
Normally, it is very hard to find a really good version of Phoenix Talons (Chicken Feet), even in Vancouver (lots of good Dim Sum choices), but the one here was actually very good. Visually, the chicken feet were large and plump prepared in a rich dark hue. Texturally, the skin was nicely fried while the rest of the cartilage and fat were buttery with some bite. The dish didn't eat greasy (despite being skin) and the garlicky flavor was apparent. On the other hand, the Deep Fried Dumpling was texturally off. It was large and full of pork filling, but the exterior glutinous layer was too thick and soaked up far too much oil. Hence it wasn't crispy nor appealing to eat.
Despite its pale colour, the Beef Meatballs were decent though with just the right amount of green onion where it didn't overwhelm. The meat itself was well-processed where it was tender, bouncy and airy. I would've liked to see a bit more seasoning as the meatballs were quite bland, but I guess that is what the side of Worcestershire sauce was for. Lastly, the Steamed Black Bean Spareribs were not bad considering I could actually taste the black bean. As for the ribs, they were meaty with minimal fat and cartilage. There was the classic rebound texture as the meat was not over-tenderized. Clearly, this wasn't the best Dim Sum we've ever had, but given the circumstances, it did the job in a serviceable manner. It was also easy on the wallet too.
The Good:
- Reasonably-priced
- Serviceable
- Okay service
The Bad:
- There is better
- Place needs some renos
Although I don’t make huge efforts to hunt down restaurants run by contestants of the TV show Top Chef (in particular the winners), I’ve hit a few of them including Star Noodle in Lahaina (by Sheldon Simeon). Since Viv and I had one day in San Diego after our Mexican Cruise aboard the MS Westerdam, we made reservations for Top Chef All-Stars Winner Richard Blais’ Juniper and Ivy in Little Italy. We've always been a fan of Richard Blais, especially his creativity and attention-to-detail.
Reading more like a tapas menu, we decided to get 6 items to share starting with the Cruda Carne Asasa Toast. When it arrived, the portion size was more than I had envisioned, Sitting atop a thick piece of bread, the tender and nicely-seasoned tartare was already buttery, but the addition of a fried quail egg on each quarter segment made things messy and tasty. Next up, we had the Yellowtail Snapper Crudo served on top of mini-tostadas. The bright and fresh snapper was moist and soft while spiked with pickled ginger. We enjoyed this dish, but thought the toast was more interesting in comparison.
In a surprising twist, my favorite item had to be the Smoked Sunchoke even though it contained no meat. This was achieved by tossing the robust sunchoke in a black garlic BBQ sauce atop fermented onion foam. The result was an explosion of umaminess that was supplemented by intense sweetness, a touch of saltiness as well as smoke, tang and Earthy flavors. Almost equally delicious, the Octopus was tender, yet at the same time, was appealingly chewy. It was sauced in a mildly-spiced sauce while the crunch on top added a complimentary texture.
Arriving underneath a glass dome, the Buttermilk Biscuit was presented in a cloud of smoke. Hence, the smell already suggested what we were in for in terms of taste. We opted for the foie gras butter on top which was creamy and only slightly gamy. It was sure decadent though as it melted over the soft and fluffy biscuit (that was more cake-like). Loved the crunchy sweet crunch of the top as it went well with the butter. Our last savory dish was the Squid Ink Linguine which was prepared a firm al dente. This was very well-executed for a freshly-made pasta. The shrimp, mussels and calamari were completely on point with the desired textures. They also added a sweet brininess to the creamy rose sauce that coated each strand of linguine perfectly.
Lastly, for dessert, we had the Yodal which was a chocolate encased log of many goodies including chocolate crunch, ganache, honeycomb, nuts and freeze dried strawberries. This was all doused with a silky chocolate sauce. Suffice to say, this was sweet, yet a wonderful study of textures. In fact, the entire meal was very good and fairly interesting. Prices were definitely fair for the quality and overall restaurant experience. Good thing to see that Juniper & Ivy lived up to the Top Chef hype.
The Good:
- Reasonably-priced given the overall restaurant experience
- Impactful flavours
- On point service
The Bad:
- Food too awhile to come out (restaurant was at capacity though)
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For all of the many great restaurants in Vancouver, there are only a few that I would use my valuable time for a return visit (or visits). One of which is Tuc Craft Kitchen on the edge of Gastown. This little spot gets pretty favourable reviews and has many loyal customers. The reason why? It's actually really simple - they produce delicious food. Yes, it is true. There are plenty of restaurants in town that focus far too much on style and social media hype and do not put enough effort into their menu. At Tuc, their ever-changing offerings speak for themselves without the need of stupid gimmicks. I was recently invited to their Summer menu launch and there was no need to ask twice!
To start things off, I tried their Turmeric Margherita with Hornitos reprosada tequila, Pierre Ferrand dry curacao, orange juice, turmeric and lime. Loved the colour and bright flavours which was perfect for a warm day. It was refreshing with just a hint of bitterness from the turmeric and plenty of zing from the citrus. This was a dangerous beverage as I could've downed many of these easily. Our first small bite was the Vegan Rarebit based on the traditional Welsh dish. This one sported rye bread topped with roasted veggies, caramelized onions and smoked onion sauce on top. Despite the amount of wet ingredients, the bread was crunchy and stayed firm. I found the roasted veggies fully cooked, but still retained a bite. The sauce on top was slightly sweet with a touch of acidity. 
The best starter by far was their popular Crispy Bacon & Egg which is an interpretation of a Scotch egg (being relatively lighter without the use of sausage). As evidenced in the picture, the egg was as perfect as one would hope for being a beautiful free-range orange and runny. Of course some preparations would have it fully cooked, but c'mon, this was sexier and not rubbery. On the outside, the bacon was meaty and lightly crispy as with the thin layer of tempura batter. Another English-inspired little bite was the Boudin Noir featuring blood sausage wrapped in crispy pastry. I found the flaky pastry to be very buttery while the boudin was soft and not especially heavy. I found it rather airy with some richness and aromaticness.
Moving onto the tasting, we began with the Steelhead Ceviche & Chicharron with citrus cured Lois Lake steelhead atop puffed pork rinds and carrot ginger puree. Exhibiting a balanced acidity and hits of lemon lime, the buttery steelhead's sweetness was able to come through. The smooth puree added more sweetness as well as a sharp spiciness. Aromatic and crispy, the chicharron exhibited an almost egg-like essence and aroma. From light over to meaty, we were presented with the Lamb Dukkah on top of white bean hummus and Moroccan relish finished off with sesame & chickpea dust. I found the lamb patty to be juicy and tender with an appealing bounce texture where the spices were apparent, in particular the cumin. The spicy and tart relish featuring jalapeno and mint was a nice compliment to the lamb while the firm spicy carrots were tasty on their own.
Next up was the Seafood Tamarind Bisque featuring Salt Spring mussels, white prawn and snapper in a chili tamarind broth with Thai basil and local veggies. The bisque was rather brothy and tart with the aromatics from shrimp paste and brininess from the seafood. There was a background spiciness that didn't overwhelm the delicate seafood including the meaty shrimp, flaky fish and briny buttery mussels. Although wilted, the veggies retained their texture and crunch which was a nice textural contrast. Alternating between light and heavy, we went back to the decadent with the Crispy Pork Curado sporting a Gelderman Farms braised pork shank, roasted corn, charred tomatillo verde, celeriac slaw and local greens. This was a site to behold with a beautifully crispy pork shank where the fat underneath was buttery and gelatinous. Beyond that, the meat was tender, moist and also gelatinous. The sweetness of caramelized roasted corn broke up the heaviness while the slightly tart and mildly spicy tomatillo added brightness as well as the crunchy slaw.
Since we were alternating back and forth between seafood and meat, it was fitting that our final dish featured both in the Surf & Turf. This was an interesting interpretation with miso-cured tri-tip steak, tempura soft shell crab, confit sweet potato and miso foam. Ever-so-lightly battered, the soft shell crab was crispy on the outside while still moist and soft on the inside. It was sweet and of course exhibited the classic crab essence. I thought the steak itself was tender bordering on chewy. With that being said, it was cooked nicely medium-rare and wasn't hard to eat. It was lightly salty from the miso, but not overly so. For dessert, we were served the Chilled Chocolate Fondue with fernet-infused chocolate Anglaise, marshmallow and honeycomb toffee. This was pretty sweet due to the combination of ingredients. So if you have a sweet-tooth, this would definitely be up your alley. The whole thing was smooth and chocolatey while the honeycomb added a sweet caramelized smoky crunch. Like clockwork, the dishes from the Summer menu at Tuc were solid and executed properly. I've never had a bad meal here and this was no exception.
