Pacific Poke

With all of the Poke shops popping up all over the place in Vancouver, it might come as a surprise that my recent visit to Pacific Poke was only the second one I've tried.  There are several reasons for this.  First, I've had Poke several times in Hawaii and nothing I've seen so far in Vancouver resembles Poke (I know this goes against what I usually say, but it's true!).  Second, most opened when it was Fall/Winter and I wasn't in the mood.  Third, it just seemed like an overload of sorts that I just never go into.  An invite by vancitytastes to Pacific Poke finally got me off the couch and back into the Poke craze.

We were presented with 3 of their most popular bowls to sample including The Cali consisting of spicy salmon, crab and shrimp, pickled red onion, avocado nori, green onion and sprouts and spicy mayo.  This was the spiciest of the 3 due to the spicy salmon and mayo.  The whole thing was creamy with tang from the pickled onions.  With the addition of crab & shrimp, there was a certain brininess as well.  The second bowl was The Keefer sporting ahi and albacore tuna negitoro, avocado, nori, fresh wasabi peas, mixed herbs, classic sesame shoyu and lime juice.  Loved how the creamy avocado contrasted the chewy seasoned rice.  Again, there was a certain creamy butteriness to the combo as well as plenty of crunch from the wasabi peas.  There was also plenty of tang from the lime juice and aromatics from the sesame shoyu and sesame oil from the wakame.

My favourite of the bunch was The Main with salmon, spicy tuna, crab and shrimp jicama, cucumber, avocado nori, sesame miso sauce, lime and yuzu juice, green onion and fresh herbs.  This was spicy but balanced with hits of sesame from the miso as well as a rich mild saltiness.  The creamy avocado added body while the jicama provided a refreshing crunch.  Yuzu and lime juices provided brightness and tang.  While eating this bowl, it completely embodied what they are doing at Pacific Poke.  Their creations are crafted by trained chefs where flavour profiles and textures are taken into account.  Hence, this is not supposed to be just a plain ol' Poke.

Upon finishing, we were also able to create a Custom Bowl to go and I went ahead and loaded it up with negitoro, spicy salmon and spicy tuna.  I chose half sushi rice and half quinoa with beets and basil, wakame, fresh pineapple and wasabi peas.  This was finished off with lime, citrus dressing and wasabi mayo.  As you can imagine, this was hearty and actually satisfying in portion size.  It was pretty spicy due to the ingredients chosen, but there was a good amount of tang too.  The quinoa lightened things up a bit instead of all rice.  Now, if you read my last visit to a poke joint, I lamented that it just wasn't "Poke".  The stuff at Pacific Poke is a variation of Poke, but unlike last time, I enjoyed it since they put some thought into it.  The flavours worked and the textures as well.  I liked how they didn't put everything but the kitchen sink into it either.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Generous with the proteins
- Restrained amount of topping choices
- Unique flavours that worked

The Bad:
- For poke purists, yes, there is creative liberties here (but I liked it)

S+L Kitchen & Bar (South Surrey)

It was a matter of time that S+L Kitchen & Bar started expanding and opening up new locations.  With the backing of the Joseph Richard Group as well as employing Masterchef winner David Jorge (Corporate Chef) and Top Chef Canada winner Matt Stowe (Director of Culinary Operations), S+L doesn't lack star power.  Now name recognition is one thing, but what about the food?  I visited the original Langley location one year ago and I came away impressed with several of their signature dishes (especially the ones from David Jorge).  Recently, I was invited along with Mijune and Nora to visit their brand-spanking new location in South Surrey.

So when eating with Mijune... it can only mean one thing...  eat everything.  That we did including some Kusshi Oysters with Thai basil and traditional mignonette, lemon and horseradish. These were shucked properly with visually-appealing shells and no fragments.  The oysters were buttery and sweet with the usual brininess.  Next up was the Crispy Sushi Rice topped with albacore tuna, soy sesame dressing, pickled ginger, wasabi lime aioli and cilantro.  As heavy as the block of sushi rice appeared, it was crispy as advertised and not too dense.  With that being said, it could be 1/3rd smaller in size.  The tuna on top was buttery soft while aggressively seasoned with hits of sesame oil, the zing from the ginger and tartness from the lime.  I loved the contrast of cold tuna atop the hot rice.

Onto something more familiar but with a twist, we were presented with the Hero Wings.  This one pound portion sported big drumettes and mid-wing portions. They were crispy on the outside (with rendered skin) and juicy on the inside.  The light brine meant that the wings weren't inherently too salty.  That was a good thing as it allowed the spicy ginger soy caramel glaze do the heavy lifting.  There was a balanced combination of salty, sweet, vinegary and spicy elements.  When we first laid eyes on the Fried Cauliflower, it wasn't visually-pleasing.  However, looks can be deceiving as this was pretty tasty.  The cauliflower was firm (yet cooked all-the-way-through) and lightly crispy on the outside.  They were brined in buttermilk and seasoned with hot sauce.  Hence, it went well with the sharp and sweet blue cheese dressing.

Something more appealing to look at was the Lamb Popsicles (normally served with 3 pieces) spiced with zataar, sumac, lemon and garlic served atop house-made hummus.  These were prepared medium-rare which ensured their succulence and tender texture.  The spices really came through, yet at the same time, the lamb was not over-seasoned.  Loved the garlicky hit from the egg white and garlic sauce.  The next dish was actually a hybrid of 2 including the Seared Scallop atop Ricotta & Basil Ravioli.  I enjoyed the mouth-feel of the buttery scallop where it was almost juicy.  It was nicely-seared and seasoned just enough.  Underneath, the house-made ravioli was tender with a bite.  There was an impactful spice from the calabrian chili which was balanced off with enough acidity.  There was also an even amount of sweetness from the ricotta filling and saltiness from the seasoning and olives. 

Continuing on with larger plates, we had another pasta in the Lobster & Prawn Linguine in a San Marzano tomato sauce with fennel, calabrian chili and basil.  I thought this was well-executed in terms of pasta and ingredients.  The shellfish was buttery, moist and lightly bouncy while the linguine was al dente.  The crunch from the fennel was a great textural contrast as well as the classic essence.  The chilis added a noted spiciness, but it wasn't overwhelming either.  Hands-down, the best dish of the night was the famous Master Chicken (normally served with 3 pieces) featuring crispy fried chicken coated in a rice flour batter.  Unlike the one at Juke, this one could've passed for a flour coating.  It stayed adhered until the last bite with rendered skin.  The chicken was succulent and extremely juicy.  It wasn't over-brined hence it wasn't too salty either.  The creamed corn with bacon was also stellar with a nice consistency and sweet salty pops of flavour.

Another David Jorge specialty is the Pan-Fried Sablefish surrounded by a warm bacon fingerling potato salad.  Unfortunately, while being delivered to our table, one part of the delicate sablefish fell apart (for a better picture, see my Langley location post).  Visuals aside, the execution was a bit different than the last time.  It was definitely more aggressively seared.  That meant the exterior was crispy and well-seasoned.  Inside, the fish was buttery and flaky where the miso and citrus mayo were great compliments.  The firm, yet cooked-through potatoes were nicely dressed with a crunchy bacon and smoked egg yolk dressing.  Also arriving at the same time was the Wagyu Flat Iron Steak with lobster mash and roasted mushrooms.  Prepared medium-rare (but not too rare), the fats were activated so that the meat was juicy and tender.  It was nicely crusted and seasoned as well.  Prepared with lobster stock, the mash was buttery and exhibited the classic lobster essence.

This was supposed to be the end of our savoury dishes, but Mijune was still hungry (yah right?).  So we soldiered on with the Crispy Local Brussels Sprouts.  I had these before and although they were pretty sweet due to the maple gastrique and candied pumpkin seeds.  With that being said, the smoked bacon and panko Parmesan helped balance the dish out a bit (still on the sweeter side though). The spouts were still firm while fried just enough.  Some places do it too aggressively and it becomes oily.  It wasn't too bad here.  Although it didn't look like much and in reality, was a pretty light sandwich, the Lobster & Prawn Burger was tasty.  Naturally, it wasn't as heavy nor fulfilling as a beef burger, but that isn't the point.  The patty was delicate with a buttery bounce.  It was complimented by avocado, bacon, lettuce, red onion and secret sauce on brioche.

I was too full to eat at this point, but I had to keep going (first world problems) with the Fried Mac & Cheese Sticks.  Again, I've had these before and this was consistent.  It featured crispy breaded mac n' cheese made with both American and aged cheddar.  Hence, they were creamy, cheesy, salty and sharp.  There was a hint of spice too.  I liked how they weren't greasy, but in the end, this was still a heavy appie best to be shared.  The side of San Marzano tomato sauce was tangy and sweet which was a nice way to break up the richness.  Plated with much more house-made tzatziki, the Crispy Calamari wasn't as crispy as the last time I tried it.  With that being said, the squid was quite tender (a bit soft for my liking).  The tangy and creamy tzatziki added the necessary flavour.  Completing the dish was crispy chickpeas, red bell peppers, mint, pickled onions and a dusting of Mediterranean seasoning.

We were actually served the East Coast Lobster Rolls earlier in the meal, but I decided to write about it here (my blog, my choice...  LOL).  These were warm and crispy on the outside while soft and fluffy on the inside.  They were stuffed with a Nova Scotian lobster and shrimp salad with lemon aioli and red onion.  Having returned from the East Coast last Summer, I've become rather picky about my lobster rolls.  These were passable, but the filling was not robust enough.  Seeing they are priced at only $5.00 each, we couldn't have expected anymore lobster due to cost.  On a return visit for lunch, I decided to get the S+L Double Cheeseburger with bacon (added cost), lettuce, tomato, JRG sauce and red onion on brioche.  This thing was super messy and delicious.  The hand-pressed patty was moist and juicy while the cheese, bacon and sauce created enough flavour to make things impactful.  The bun didn't stand up very well to the mess though.

For dessert, we were served both the Chocolate Dome and Individual Baked Cookie with vanilla ice cream.  As evidenced in the picture, a chocolate brownie, ice cream and fruit were hidden underneath the  chocolate dome until doused with creme Anglaise.  An IG story darling, this dessert was fine with a not-too-sweet brownie.  I would've liked to see the candied walnuts to be more crunchy though.  Warm, crunchy and pretty sweet, the fresh-baked cookie was pretty addictive.  The ice cream was not as rich as I would've liked.  So there you have it, we ate nearly the whole menu and most of it ranged from decent to very good.  For a chain restaurant, that is a pretty good achievement.  Prices are fair in my opinion as it is not more than other similar restaurants out there.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Most dishes were good and the signature dishes were even better
- Okay pricing since it is not any pricier than other restaurant chains
- Good service (based on my paid revisit)

The Bad:
- Portion sizes can vary
- Lobster roll was more of a shrimp roll

Mikan Cafe

For all of the available types of Japanese cuisine in the Lower Mainland, Yoshoku gets no love.  It's all about the sushi and ramen here sprinkled with some Izakaya action.  For those who are unfamiliar with Yoshoku, it refers to Japanese-style Western dishes such as their take on Salisbury steak, spaghetti, curry, pork cutlets, sandwiches, desserts and the sort.  One of the few that exist is Cafe L'Orangerie in Marpole (which was only average in my opinion).  It seems like they have branched out have taken over (or more like merged) with the old Poutinerie Jean Talon out on Broadway at Fraser.

We decided to check it out after on a beautiful Sunday after ice hockey.  To start, we went with the ol' favourite of Jean Talon with the medium-sized Poutine with home style meat sauce and cheese curds.  Exactly how I remembered, the fries were super crispy and light with a starch coating not unlike the one found at Costco.  The meat gravy was flavourful, yet not salty with a background beefiness and sweetness from the veggies.  With a bounce and light squeak, the legit cheese curds were generous.  For myself, I went with 2 dishes starting with the Ebi Sandwich served on ciabatta with shredded cabbage, tonkatsu sauce and sweet mayo.  The crispy breading on the ebi held up to the sauces while the shrimp itself had a sweet snap.  There was an obscene amount of sauce which meant it was tangy and messy to eat.  I would've preferred a softer bun though as everything spilled out with every bite.

For my second item, I went for their daily special being the Baked Japanese Curry Doria consisting of rich and creamy rice, mushrooms, onions, Japanese curry, chicken broth and eggplant topped with mozzarella cheese.   This was a modest portion where the layer of melted cheese was substantial and stringy.  Underneath, the tender eggplant was far from mushy while the rice was on the softer side.  It was decently flavourful in a subtle manner despite the presence of curry.  I would've liked to see a bit more of it as the dish could've used more impact.  Milhouse ended up with an actual curry in the Pork Cutlet Curry with rice.  I've had this before and it was not different featuring sweet and thick curry with lots of tender bits of veggie.  There was more than enough for the rice and lean pork cutlet which was tender despite the lack of fat.

Kaiser Soze went for the Masago Spaghetti with squid and fish roe.  This arrived emanating an seafoody aroma which was quite intoxicating.  One bite and it was pretty evident that the briny seafoodiness of the masago was the dominating flavour.  It was in a good way though with a certain sweetness accented by a light cream sauce.  The spaghetti itself was nicely al dente and properly seasoned.  JuJu decided on the Hayashi Beef Spaghetti with hamburger steak.  Similar to the meat gravy on top of our poutine, this ate hearty with a mild meatiness and slight sweetness.  The steak itself was fairly tender and loose with the sweetness of onions (maybe too many onions). 

For dessert, I ordered a slice of their Blueberry Cheese Tart which was in a beautiful shade of milky purple.  One bite and the essence of cream cheese was very strong (in an almost yogurt-like manner), but the blueberry came through as well.  It was not overly sweet and the texture was in between light and heavy.  This visit to Mikan was a bit strange for me.  They are affiliated with Cafe L'Orangerie and my visit there wasn't exactly that impressive nor memorable.  Now I'm not saying Mikan blew my mind either, but I thought it was better for some odd reason.  But really, considering the lack of Yoshoku cuisine in Vancouver, there is really no competition for Mikan and Cafe L'Orangerie.

The Good:
- Friendly service
- Inexpensive
- Decent

The Bad:
- Food comes out a bit slow
- Pretty small place, not good for big groups
- Limited menu

R&B Ale & Pizza House

With the whole Neapolitan pizza craze leveling off in the last few years, there have been fewer joints entering the fray.  There are the occasional new players in town such as Firecrust and the newly opened Assembli, but for intents and purposes, the current "it" item is shaved ice. R&B Ale & Pizza House opened up shop rather quietly last year and honestly, it wasn't even on my radar.  How good can the pizza be at a brewery anyways?  Well, we decided to finally check it out after Monday night softball at nearby Strathcona Park.

With an understated store frontage and an equally utilitarian interior, we weren't high on our expectations.  What immediately caught our eye was the extremely reasonable pricing where the veggie pizzas were $10.50 and the meat ones were $12.50.  We began with the standard being the classic Margherita.  The lightly charred crust was uniformly crunchy throughout while the inside was chewy and mildly seasoned.  We found the tomato sauce to be balanced and quite flavourful while the mozzarella was adequate.  I personally would've liked to see the basil put on top after baking.  Of course we didn't only eat pizza, so I got their Shake Yo Fruity IPA.  Normally, I hate fruity beer, but this one was actually quite good with an almost floral quality with only mild hits of tropical fruit.  It went down smooth and was lightly hoppy.

Probably our most favourite pizza, the Crispy Prosciutto with arugula and shaved Parm had a great balance of flavours.  There was enough prosciutto for saltiness and body while the arugula did its bright and bitter thing while the shaved parm added another layer of nutty saltiness.  Normally, this type of pizza can be on the drier side and overly salty, but this one had enough moisture and was flavourful without being overwhelming.  Combined with the same uniformly crunchy crust, this pizza ate quite well.  Another surprisingly good pizza was the Pesto, Artichoke and Black Olive.  Again, with both artichoke and black olive, these type of pizzas are often salty.  Similarly with the prosciutto, this pizza was balanced with impactful and noticeable flavours without going overboard.  The ample amount of cheese seemed to help things too.

Our last pizza was the Bacon & Mushroom sprinkled with green onion.  Tasting exactly like its description, there was the saltiness of the bacon meshed with the Earthiness of the mushrooms.  I would've liked to see the bacon more crispy, but it wasn't chewy nor fatty either.  Again, there was enough cheese to bind everything together, but we would've liked to see a bit more sauce.  As much as the pizzas weren't too dry, the crunchy crust could've benefited from some more moisture.  Generally, I do not order Charcuterie Boards since they are not exactly super-exciting.  However, Bear decided to go for the $15.00 board consisting of salami, prosciutto, blue cheese, gruyere and brie accompanied by pickles, grainy mustard and sourdough crostinis.  Not bad and decently priced.

Milhouse and I weren't satisfied with pizza alone, so we added both the Pulled Pork and Meatball Sandwiches with kettle chips on the side.  Both were baked in what looked like a Portuguese bun and topped with melted cheese.  Although priced at only $10.00 each, these ate better than many versions costing a half more.  The pulled pork was tender and aggressively sauced being sweet and really cheesy.  Tucked in a soft crusty roll, this ate very pleasingly and was delicious.  The meatball was crumbly and soft while aggressively seasoned with Italian spices including plenty of oregano.  There was also a noted spiciness as well.  The side of kettle chips were fantastic being crunchy and lightly salted.  Surprising.  That is probably the only way to describe our visit to R&B.  The place doesn't look like much, but the food is actually decent and best-of-all, inexpensive.

The Good:
- Cheap
- Decent eats, loved those sammies!
- Oh yeah, they have some good beers too

The Bad:
- Not the most comfy place to sit for a long time
- Limited menu, but that's okay, as they do not stray too far from what they are good at

Mr. Chili

For the longest time, there was this decrepit-looking sushi restaurant on Hastings near Boundary.  I never did visit the place, even though there was an Entertainment coupon year after year.  Then all of a sudden, it closed and a Szechuan restaurant took its place.  However, it wasn't any ordinary traditional-style Chinese restaurant.  Rather, they did extensive renovations to make the place chic, clean and inviting.  Despite some mixed reviews, I took a chance with a Groupon and invited Emily, Diana and Amy to join me.

Although the menu is fairly limited, we were able to find some items that interested us.  We were pleasantly surprised with our first dish in the Mouth-Watering Chicken.  Despite being a relatively small portion, the flavours were very good.  The tender and juicy dark meat was full-flavoured and captured the natural essence of chicken.  There was an impactful amount of spice that was not overwhelming.  With a similar chili oil kick, the Spicy Pig Ears were also decent.  A touch on the softer side, the pig ears were also rather flavourful with a lingering spiciness. 

Continuing on the same theme, the Hot & Sour Potato Vermicelli was bathed in a broth that included a considerable amount of chili oil and roasted peanuts.  I found the noodles to be slippery and still slightly chewy.  The spice level was just right much like the previous 2 dishes.  It was potent and lingered while not crazy spicy.  The peanuts added a nice crunch and robust texture to the dish.  At first, the Spicy Beef Noodle Soup didn't look that interesting, but once again, it was decently flavourful.  The broth had a soy slant, but there was some meatiness as well as spice.  The noodles were slippery and al dente while the beef shank was sufficiently tender and flavourful, but more on the chewier side. 

Probably our favourite dish of the meal, the Curry Beef Brisket was bathed in a creamy coconut curry that was thick and rich.  It was on the fattier side, but that was probably what made it aromatic and full-bodied.  The chunks of beef brisket were fairly tender and not that fatty.  I found that chunks of potato too big and also underdone while the carrots suffered the same fate.  We had to get some rice to go with this as the sauce was just that tasty.  The Numbing Fish with Tofu arrived with a layer of Szechuan peppercorns.  This version wasn't inundated with chili oil, so the natural sweetness of the buttery fish came through.  The flavours were more clean and only a bit of numbing from the peppercorns. 

One dish that was total dud happened to be our one veggie option being the Stir-Fried Green Beans.  Even though it was subjected to a proper oil-blanching, the beans themselves were old and past their prime.  Hence, they were chewy and dry.  On the positive side, there was plenty of wok heat and enough seasoning.  The little nuggets of ground pork were not dry and had some spice.  Although rather greasy, the Kung Pao Shrimp were tasty.  In addition to the usual sweet and tangy notes, the chilis and peppercorns added the right kick needed to balance off the dish.  After dining on a good variety of the menu, we all agreed that Mr. Chili was better than anticipated.  Naturally, some dishes were better than others and the prices were not cheap, but the place does the job where there is little competition nearby.

The Good:
- Decent service
- Some good dishes
- Clean and nicely renovated

The Bad:
- On the pricier side
- A bit hit and miss
- The tables do not offer much leg room